iHit the Open Road II: With This Ring
by PhunkyBrewster
Summary: There's just something about saying "I do" with a long stretch of road behind you. The sequel to "iHit the Open Road." COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: iDon't own iCarly. In addition, the author of this story highly recommends that you read _iHit the Open Road_, to which this is the sequel.**

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><p>It was the general air of restlessness that slowly pulled Carly Shay to consciousness so early Saturday morning. Though she couldn't quite register much at the moment, her body could definitely tell that it was early…way too early to be awake on the weekend. When she groggily turned to view the clock on the other side of the bed she released a guttural groan of annoyance: the time read 7:21 a.m. Given that she was up late last night, she had hoped - no, expected - to sleep in to compensate. She knew, however, that there was no going back to sleep once she was up.<p>

Then she came to realize (slowly) that she had a perfect view of the clock on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. This meant that the usual mass that interrupted her view, which happened to come in the form of a brown-haired, brown-eyed fiancé, wasn't there. Curious, she sat up and looked around the room for any sign of him. Instantly, she noticed the lounge chair in the corner of the room, which was occupied by her opened, seemingly half-packed duffel bag.

"_Weird_," she thought. She definitely didn't leave her duffel bag out. Actually, she can't even recall the last time she used it. A sudden commotion caused her to look to her left, where she noticed the light from the walk-in closet illuminating the floor. Within seconds, her smiling fiancé revealed himself by exiting the closet, holding a small stack of jeans and making his way to the duffel bag in the corner of the room. Freddie Benson deposited the jeans into the bag without so much as a glance towards the bed.

"Freddie, what are you doing?" Carly asked, her voice slightly froggy from being used for the first time that day.

Freddie quickly turned towards the sound of Carly's voice and grinned at the sight of her. She could only imagine how she looked to him: a sleep-disheveled mess with an expression of utter confusion. Freddie always did tell her how cute she looked when she was confused. She figured she must look downright adorable to him right about now.

"Good morning, baby," Freddie greeted in a low, excited tone as he approached her side of the bed and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you.'

"Babe, what are you doing and why are you doing it so early in the morning on a Saturday?" she asked, pushing herself upright. "And just why exactly are you packing my bag? Are you kicking me out? I knew my snoring was bad, but - "

"Oh, ha ha," he responded sarcastically, giving a strand of her hair a gentle pull in retaliation while she giggled. "The snoring I can handle. The kung fu-style kicking in your sleep, on the other hand…"

"Freddie!" she exclaimed with a giggle, prompting him to laugh softly. "Seriously, what's going on?"

Freddie's laughter faded as he knitted his eyebrows in apparent confusion. "Wait, you've seriously forgotten already? How is that even possible? We just talked about it last night!"

When Carly didn't answer immediately, he sat at the edge of the bed and gave her a small, almost pitying smile. "I'll give you a hint," he teased just before leaning over and placing a gentle kiss at her temple. Then he moved a little closer to her ear.

"Dum, dum, da-dum," he hummed in a low tone, in tune to the wedding march.

Suddenly, Carly remembered exactly what he was referring to. Just the night before, Freddie had attempted to convince her that they should elope after witnessing how stressed the wedding planning was making her. He'd made number of good points, including how the wedding should just be about them and their closest friends and family, and she had agreed that the plans for their big day had spun slightly out-of-control (such as a guest list of 130 that was growing by the day). In addition, Carly couldn't help but get slightly swept away in the romance of it all: running off to some private location, exchanging vows in an intimate ceremony, creating memories meant for just the two of them to share…

But that's exactly what she was last night when she had conceded to this outrageous idea to elope: swept away. Swept away in the moment, the impromptu romance, in Freddie's loving words…the entire idea was outlandish and kind of unreasonable. Could they really expect their friends to just drop everything and meet them at some out-of-reach location, just like that? She didn't think it was likely.

"Freddie," she began, cautiously, "I had only agreed to the idea last night because I thought that after you'd slept on it, you would've realized how crazy of an idea it was. There's no way we can just stop everything we're doing and run off like that."

"Yeah, because we've never done that before," Freddie countered sarcastically with a slick smile. She couldn't help but smile back as she thought of the road trip that had changed the both of them forever. Though it began as a trip to across the country to see Gibby and Sam (as well as a much needed vacation for Carly), it ended with them finally coming to grips with their feelings for each other. It had been almost four years and at times she would still catch herself reliving some of the moments of that trip: their late-night moment on fire escape of Bushwell Plaza, the long drives, their first kiss, the slow dance in the bar that lead to them finally admitting their love for one another…

"Okay, but that was different," Carly pointed out gently. "That was a casual college trip. This is our wedding! We've already put so much time and money into it -"

"-Both of which, I already told you, I don't mind losing."

"I know, I know, but still. We can't just forget about all of that and go away last minute. Furthermore, we can't assume that all of our friends will be perfectly fine with that."

"And not all of them will be," Freddie agreed, "but some of them, those that are most important, won't mind. Sam, Gibby, and Spencer, for instance, will agree to go because they know how important this is to us. That's all that matters at the end of the day, right? That the ones closest to us will be by our side when we need them? They wouldn't miss it for any amount of distance."

Carly sighed loudly and laid back down on the pillow, shielding her eyes from the sunlight that was emerging from the side window. She loved Freddie, but sometimes he could be so stubborn.

"Baaaaaaaabe," she groaned, "I was hoping you would take some time to sleep on this whole idea and realize how crazy it is."

"But that's just the problem, Carls. After you agreed to elope last night, I never really slept."

He crawled over her body and laid next to her. Then he reached over and pulled her so that she was facing him and settled a hand on her hip before resuming his explanation. "I tried to get some rest, but all I could think about was how today could be the day that Carly Shay becomes my wife. I'd been dreaming of this very moment since we were eleven! The more I thought about it, the more excited I got and all I could do to keep myself sane was pack. So that's what I've been doing since about 4 a.m."

It was one of the sweetest things she'd ever heard and it only confirmed just why she was so in love with this man. Freddie never hesitated to tell (as well as show) her how much he loved her. She would honestly do anything for him, but nothing about this fell within reason and though she was more than eager to become 'Mrs. Carly Benson,' she was convinced that he just needed to be brought back to sanity. Someone had to remain the voice of reason.

"Freddie, you know I want nothing more than to become your wife," she started as she stroked the masculine arm that was wrapped around her waist, "I just don't want anything about this to be rushed. We don't know where we're going and even if we did, it's not like we'd be able to get married today without a license or at least a little bit of preparation. This is our _one chance_. I want us to do this right."

"And what's your definition of 'right?'" Freddie pushed.

"Y'know, the dress, the flowers, the pastor, all of our friends and family surrounding us, the church, you in a handsome tux," she rattled on while a small, dreamy smile played on her face. "I think we deserve at least that much."

"And I can agree that you deserve all that and more," Freddie reasoned, "but I don't need any of that and you know that."

"And I may not need it, either, but I want it."

Carly was being truthful when she said that she wanted all of the fanfare that came with a wedding, but there was a nagging, distant voice in the deep recesses of her mind that kept reminding her that she didn't _need it_, that if she were being truly honest and willing to give up this incessant need for everything to be 'just perfect,' then just maybe she could hop in the car and fly down the highway to some unknown city and just tie the knot in some crazy, utterly romantic fashion. She wished she could be as carefree as Freddie when it came to all of this, but there was just something stopping her.

By the look on Freddie's face, however, he didn't seem as convinced.

With a slight squint of his eyes, he probed, "How sure are you that you want all of that stuff, Carly? And I mean _really_ want it?"

She couldn't bring herself to tell an outright lie and say that she was entirely positive, so all she could do was avert her eyes just slightly and reply, "About eighty-five percent."

There were a few beats of silence before Freddie revealed yet another smirk.

"I like those odds, Shay," he purred cryptically.

Carly gave him a questioning look, along with a half-smile. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

He simply shook his head and leaned forward to give her a kiss on the tip of her nose, knowing that that was her favorite gesture.

"Not important," he replied. "If you truly want all of that - the dress, tux, the guests, all of it - then that's what we'll have. I'll go unpack."

And with that, he lifted himself up and off the bed, walked over to the duffel bag, grabbed it and headed towards the closet. From an outside perspective the issue had appeared to be settled, but Carly knew much better.

After all: if fourteen years of knowing Freddie Benson has taught her anything it was that he is, if nothing else, persistent.

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><p><strong>AN: First of all, thank you so much to anyone who has shown support to me throughout the past couple of months, since I've started writing! Your continued kind words, constructive criticism, and love has truly inspired me to continue writing and (hopefully) improving!**

**I'd also like to extend an additional thank you to those who read iHit the Open Road! I still get reviews for that story and it totally warms my heart. It was your outpouring of support and suggestions that I continue the story with a sequel that resulted in me actually following through. It took me a while to come up with something that would be worthy of following up that story and (I think) I just may have it. Trust me, it took a while to think of anything and for a long time I was convinced that it wouldn't happen. Hopefully, I don't disappoint.**

**And to anyone who is reading my work for the first time, thank you for taking the time to read it! I hope you like it and I hope you won't hesitate to review!**

**This will definitely be a multi-chapter story. I'm not sure how long it'll be just yet. I wanted to get the first chapter out before I locked myself away into wedding mode (19 days away!). **

**Again, thank you all, please review (if you wish), and have a wonderful night!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	2. Chapter 2

"Wow, Carly, that pitch you gave was kind of amazing!"

"Thanks, Andrea! A lot of that came together last minute, but I'm glad it worked!" Carly responded brightly, then added as an afterthought, "Well, I _think_ it worked, anyway."

The two marketing team members were quickly heading back to their office from a long meeting with the Promotions division at Qwest Field. Carly couldn't wait to get back to her desk so that she could change out of her uncomfortable heels and slip into her "desk shoes," or a pair of old, fuzzy orange slippers. Andrea, a Promotions assistant, followed closely.

"Well, if any of that was thrown together last minute, nobody could tell," Andrea continued her praise. " 'The launch of this promotion will not only acclimate long-time fans to the new logo and eventual name change, but will also associate the new name with community service and scholarship, which will ease the transition for our loyal fans while increasing overall attendance during soccer season'? Should I go ahead and polish your new Promotions Assistant Director nameplate now or - "

"Oh, stop it!" Carly interrupted with a chuckle. The women reached their desks in record time and quickly commenced with the task with making themselves as comfortable as possible. Carly shucked her heels as she pulled out her bottom drawer to remove her slippers, while Andrea pulled her straight blonde hair away from her face into a ponytail.

"I'm serious!" the blonde assistant squealed. "With Mr. Talbot retiring, that's going to leave a V.P. spot wide open. Mr. Hanson, will probably get bumped up to VP, Brandon will move up to Director, which will lead to the search for the new Assistant Director. Carly, you're obviously the most qualified for the position."

Carly couldn't argue with that. She was definitely one of the more creative Team Leads in the department and she always felt like she was on the brink of some kind of promotion, but with her upcoming marriage, everything was so up in the air. Could she take on the new AD position, which would require her to travel a lot more, or would Freddie want to immediately settle down and have kids right away? Besides, this would take her even further away from her goal of moving on to Public Relations, which was the whole point of her pursuing a Communications degree at the University of Washington (which, she will readily admit, was not easy to earn). The thought of all this possible change was making her head spin a little, and she hadn't even been seriously approached about any kind of promotion yet.

"Honestly, Andrea, I can't even wrap my head around any of that right now," Carly said with a sigh. "I have so many other things on my plate at the moment."

"Oh, yeeees, like becoming Mrs. Freddie Benson," Andrea chimed in a sing-song voice. The Cheshire grin on her face made her look downright mischievous. "I bet you have no problem wrapping your head around the wedding night!"

" 'Drea!" Carly exclaimed as the blush crept up her neck.

Andrea threw her hands up in mock-surrender. "Hey! I'm not blaming you one bit! I mean, look at him! Who could?"

Carly flipped on her computer, quickly typing in her password. "I think we have to get the wedding settled first before we even think about the wedding night, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. How is all that going, anyway?"

"Exhaustingly," Carly stated simply, keeping her focus on her computer screen.

"What do you mean?" Andrea pressed with wide eyes. "Isn't planning the fun part?"

The brunette shrugged. "It can be. It can also be really overwhelming. I just always have the feeling like I'm forgetting something. Then I realize that I'm actually forgetting a million little things. It's like it never ends."

It was Andrea's turn to shrug. "You can always elope!"

"Greeeeat," Carly chuckled. "Now you sound like Freddie."

Carly printed a memo from her computer and stood up to make her way to the fax machine. Andrea followed closely behind.

"He may be on to something!" she pointed out. "Word is that destination weddings are in right now. You and your honey, spiriting away to the mountains or Cayman Islands - ooh! Or a cruise ship wedding! I've always wanted to do one of those!"

"Andrea, what about tradition?" Carly questioned as she arrived at the machine. "Reciting vows in front of all your family and friends in a big church? The dress? Heartfelt champagne toasts at the reception? You and your new husband rushing to the limo as all your guests shower you with - I don't know, rice? Bubbles? - as you prepare to run off to your newlywed suite? What happens to all of that?"

"Well, if that's how you really feel, then go for the big ol' wedding, girl!" Andrea encouraged enthusiastically with a light pat on Carly's back. "Just know that eloping is always an option."

"My husband and I eloped and it was wonderful!" said an animated voice from their left. They turned to find Marcia, the nosy receptionist, very invested in their conversation at the fax machine. "Guillermo and I got married in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was absolutely beautiful!"

Typically, Carly wouldn't engage in too much conversation with Marcia, as she was a very talkative person, but Carly was just the teeniest bit intrigued. "What made you guys decide run away to get married?"

"Oh, where do I begin?" Marcia said dramatically as she spun her chair to face the two women completely. Andrea and Carly shared a knowing glance before giving Marcia the audience she obviously craved. "First, his family wanted a traditional Catholic wedding, which we did not. Then my mother kept pestering me to invite all of these family members, even ones that I hadn't spoken to in years! Do you know how many cousins I have? No? Well, neither do I. I lost count a long time ago."

Andrea let out a chuckle while the receptionist continued. "Then his mother started critiquing every little choice I made. The dress, the flowers, the food, the music, even the invitation were a problem! The whole thing was driving me insane and was causing fights between Guillermo and I. Then we started joking about eloping. After a while, the idea became less of a joke! When we thought about it, it was actually cheaper than we thought and we got to have the ceremony we always wanted AND I still got to wear a hot dress!"

Carly thought about her story for a moment. "But wasn't your family upset about not being invited to your wedding?"

Marcia gave a small smile. "Oh, we got cussed out in English _and_ in Spanish, but once they saw how happy we were, they were happy for us. Honestly, we didn't care who was pissed off. It was our day and we were going to do it how _we_ wanted to do it. I got to visit San Juan for the first time and my husband got to connect with family he hadn't seen in years. No regrets!"

With that, the phone rang and Marcia swiftly picked it up and happily greeted the caller. Andrea nudged Carly. "See?" she said with raised eyebrows. "No regrets!"

Carly rolled her eyes and headed back to her desk. First Freddie, now her coworkers. "_I wonder who else has lost their minds_," she thought to herself.

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><p>"So I'm guessing that wedding planning isn't going so well?" Gibby Gibson asked over the receiver of Freddie's Pear Phone 13Z. Freddie plopped on the couch and began removing his sneakers. He had just clocked out of work for the day when Gibby called him for a quick chat. They had only talked for a short time before the conversation turned to the topic of his and Carly's wedding, as it often did these days. He had just finished telling Gibby all the different ways he had tried to convince Carly to elope since that previous Saturday: showing her websites and discussion forums about elopement, leaving advertisements about discounted vacation packages around the house, he'd even resorted to threatening monumental embarrassment during the reception. Still, much to Freddie's dismay, she stood her ground against the idea.<p>

"I guess it's going alright," Freddie answered distractedly.

"Doesn't sound like it to me," Gibby stated bluntly. "Not if you've been pushing for this eloping thing for the past three days."

Freddie sighed and sank back into the couch. "I don't know, Gib. This wedding has become the biggest project Carly's ever taken on. And you know what projects do to her. She's insanely stressed and barely eating or getting any sleep. And it's like I can't get her to relax, no matter what I say or do."

"Well," Gibby considered, "isn't a big wedding what every girl wants? Maybe she just wants it to be perfect."

"And I want that for her!" Freddie rushed to clarify. "God knows she deserves it! I just don't like what it's doing to her. I'd rather just run off together and have a quiet ceremony that's special for the both of us."

There was a beat of silence over the phone before Gibby spoke. "So you're doing this for her."

"Yes."

"Even though she's told you over and over again that it's not what she wants."

"Well…y-yeah, I guess."

"But this borderline obsession with eloping. This is all still for her benefit?"

"…Yes."

"…I call bullshit."

"GIBBY!"

"I'm just sayin', man!" Gibby cried. "I could understand if she gave even the slightest clue that she might be interested, but it's sounds to me like she's made it clear that she's not. So what's in it for you?"

Freddie had to think about that question for a second. He hadn't stopped to really think about it, but he realized in that moment that he had become really attached to the idea, he just couldn't put the reason behind this sudden attachment into words.

"Uhh," Freddie stalled. "I'm not sure - I, uh-"

"-Whatever, bro. Look," Gibby interrupted, "it's up to you guys what you want to do. Your wedding, your rules. Just let me know where I need to be and I'll be there. That's in the Best Man Bylaws, right?"

Freddie chuckled. "_Are_ there Bylaws? I've never heard of them."

"Yeah, not sure," Gibby replied, laughter apparent in his voice. "If there are any, though, I'm sure 'Stand behind the groom, no matter what insane idea he pulls out of his ass' is one of them. Am I right?"

"Oh, well thank you, good sir!" Freddie joked.

"Don't mention it. Oh, and if you guys need someone to officiate the ceremony, I can totally do it."

Freddie looked at his phone in confusion for a brief second, as if the person on the other line was speaking a completely different language. "Uhhh, since when could you officiate wedding ceremonies? And who in their right mind would give you the authority to do such a thing?"

"Hey! I could pull it off if I wanted to!" Gibby retorted, seemingly offended. "And I just got ordained online. Seriously, it took all of thirty seconds and it's totally legit! Did it while I was on the phone with you. I bet you didn't even notice!"

Freddie let out a riotous laugh. "You're right about that, Gib. I'll pass…but thanks, though!"

They talked for just a few minutes more before ending the conversation. Only moments after he hung up the phone Carly opened the door and entered their home.

"Freddie, I'm home!"

"In here!" he shouted back.

Carly found him on the couch and walked over to him, setting her work tote on the arm chair before reaching Freddie. They shared a brief, chaste kiss.

"Hey!" she greeted before pulling away and plopping next to him on the couch. She pulled off both of her heels and tucked her feet underneath her. "How was your day?"

"Long, but interesting," Freddie replied. "How about you?"

"Pretty good!" she answered enthusiastically. "My presentation went really well today! There's a lot of promotion buzz milling around the office now. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the wedding, I'll be in a new office!"

The mention of the wedding drew Freddie's mind back to his conversation with Gibby. Had he been a little too pushy about eloping? He didn't want Carly to think that he didn't appreciate the idea of a big wedding or all the work she's put into it thus far. He just hadn't realized how invested in the idea he had become until Gibby brought it to his attention. He suddenly felt the need to assure Carly of his support and appreciation.

"Say, Carly? About the wedding-"

"Oooooh, gaaaaaahhhdd," she groaned, tipping her head back and lightly hitting it against the back wall. "If you're going to start talking about this whole eloping thing again, I swear -"

"No! I'm not!" Freddie promised. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm so proud of all the work you've done thus far in relation to the wedding. Please know that I appreciate all the time, money and effort you've invested into our day and I couldn't be luckier to have you."

Carly looked up with a small smile. "Thanks, sweetie," Carly exhaled. "I know you're just looking out for me, but I promise that I'm fine and that I have everything under control."

Freddie smiled and gave her another soft kiss that was only slightly longer than the first. "I know. Which is why I'm going to drop the whole eloping thing and just give you the space to do whatever you need. Hey, you hungry?"

Freddie patted Carly on her knee just before lifting himself off the couch and making his way into the kitchen.

"Just a glass of wine for me, thanks," Carly shouted back. "I'm gonna change out of these clothes."

" 'kay," Freddie replied. As she disappeared into their bedroom, Freddie continued to ponder Gibby's question from earlier.

"_But this borderline obsession with eloping… So what's in it for you?"_

For the life of him, Freddie couldn't figure out why this was such a big deal for him. He meant it when he said he would drop the subject, so why was he still thinking about it? Something told him that it would be a big benefit to the both of them if he figured it out soon.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks so much for your patience! I posted this right before I went to work. I'm shocked that I was able to finish this chapter before the weekend!**

**Fun fact: I got ordained online, just like Gibby! It took only two minutes and now I'm able to officiate weddings. Me. Yes, it's quite a flawed system.**

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please feel free to leave your feedback! Hope all is well!  
><strong>

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	3. Chapter 3

She desperately sipped her third cup of decaf wild berry-jasmine tea, hoping that the steaming beverage would calm her nerves in a way that the first two cups had not.

Sadly, it didn't work.

Even the deliciously unique taste of the tea couldn't quell the agitated feeling that threatened to erupt into a full-blown tantrum as Carly read the seventh e-mail in an ongoing string of correspondence with her less-than-stellar caterer. She thought she had been fairly clear about what she and Freddie wanted as well as the desired price range they needed to fall within. Now, Carly found herself rubbing her temples in an effort to keep calm as she went over the same detail for, what felt like, the hundredth time. With just a few months left remaining until the big day she really wanted to avoid making any major changes, but she was beginning to realize that Drake's Delectable Dining was just not going to work out and that now was the time to be proactive about it instead of settling for, what would appear to be, unsatisfactory service.

She wished she could do the same for the church they had chosen. Their strict (and seemingly multiplying) policies were terribly old fashioned and repetitive (she wasn't sure why she and Freddie had to attend pre-marital counseling _and_ the church's couples seminar. Wasn't it basically the same information?) and leaving her less and less convinced that a traditional wedding was what she actually wanted. Ideally, she would just say "forget it" and move on to the another venue. The invitations, however, were already printed with the address and the concept of searching for a new location and officiant, on top of spending a bundle of money to reprint invites with the new information gave her a new-found anxiety all on its own.

As she began to type her farewell e-mail to Drake's (which was also a farewell to her $300 nonrefundable deposit), Carly started to second-guess almost every detail of her wedding: the dress, the wedding colors, the flower arrangements, even the song she and Freddie had chosen as their first dance. Though worrying was just a part of her nature, this just felt different somehow. The only thing she was absolutely sure about was that she wanted to marry Freddie with every fiber of her being, even if the road to becoming Mrs. Fredward Benson was a little rocky.

Meanwhile, the groom-to-be was keeping up his promise and had not brought up the subject of eloping once for the fourth day in a row. He was being nothing but supportive, listening to her mounting concerns and assuring her that everything would go well. She was entirely thankful for his encouragement, but a small part of her wished that he would approach the subject again. She continued to ignore that feeling as she clicked away at the laptop keys.

Her phone gave a sudden jolt, quickly followed by a melodic chirp. Carly quickly picked it up and glanced at the screen to find a picture of a rambunctious blonde with untamed curls, swinging upside-down from a tree branch. She didn't even waste another second to look at the name streaming below the picture.

"Hey, Sam," she greeted, unenthusiastically.

"Woah," Sam Puckett replied, failing to greet her back. "Carly Shay, I can hear the stress seeping through your voice."

"I only said two words!" Carly shrieked in amazement.

"And that's all I need! You don't deny it, do you?"

The brunette exhaled. "No, not really. Okay, I am pretty stressed out right now."

"Wedding junk?" Sam guessed.

"Yup. It's like the minute I resolve one thing, two more issues crop up. Now we're so close and I'm getting to a point where it's too late to change a lot of things. Well, except for the caterer, which I now must search for all over again. And no, Sam," Carly continued forcefully when she heard Sam prepare to speak over the receiver, "I will _not_ consider your uncle Carmine. I can't serve steaks that "fell off a truck." That wouldn't be right."

"Prude!" Sam cried, jokingly. "Okay, so you fell into some bad luck with the caterer. We'll handle that. How's everything else?"

Carly quickly took another sip of her tea before speaking again. "Hectic, nerve-wracking, frustrating…I don't know, everything just feels wrong all of a sudden. This wedding doesn't feel like me anymore. And I hate to burden Freddie with all this, even though he's being super supportive, as usual."

Carly heard the distinct crunching sound of chips over the receiver and guessed that Sam was taking one of her many daily snack breaks.

"Hash nubf toft bot eloaffin?" Sam inquired, though her speech was obstructed by her snack.

"I'm sorry, rudeness, I couldn't quite understand you, thanks to your obviously full mouth!" Carly teased.

After an audible gulp Sam replied, "Has the nub talked about eloping at all?"

"Not since he promised not to bring it up anymore…"

Sam didn't miss the way her friend's answer trailed off at the end.

"But you want him to, don't you?" she asked knowingly.

Carly didn't answer her immediately. She still believed the entire idea was insane. She did, however, find brief comfort in the idea of having options…even if those options were outlandish flights of fancy.

"I'll take your silence as affirmation, cupcake," Sam interjected, bringing Carly out of her daze. Carly could almost see the smug look she was sure was on Sam's face.

"Don't start," Carly warned with a roll of her eyes.

"Look, I may call Freddie a lot of things, but 'moron' is never one of them. 'Nub,' but not 'moron.' 'Flapsnot,' but not 'moron.' 'Crap-tacular,' but not 'moron'-"

"-alright, I think I got it, Sam!" Carly interrupted loudly.

"Point is," Sam continued, "a wedding abroad would eliminate a lot of this chizz. As maid of honor, I'm supposed to help you keep your stress down, right? Well, what relieves stress more than a vacation? And if you…you know…happen to recite some vows while you're away, then isn't that considered multi-tasking? You LOVE to multi-task!"

Carly giggled for, what felt like, the first time in ages. Sam always had a way of making light of any situation and, at times, making her forget why she was upset in the first place. She missed living in the same city with her best friend. Sam resided in Florida with her long-time boyfriend, Wesley, while performing as a lead dancer in a theme park show. Despite the distance, they remained as close as ever. Carly just wished that they could go back to their teenage days when Sam could just drop by and help her devise some sort of scheme that would miraculously solve everything.

"Sam, I love you, but as I've said a thousand times, eloping is not an option."

"Oh, well," Sam conceded, "You're the bride, it's your call. I just think it's more of an option than you think." There was a brief pause over the line, followed by a low groan. "I better go, Carls. Wesley's coming home any minute and I promised him I would be ready for lunch by the time he got here. Call me later, 'kay?"

"Okay. Peace, Puckett!" Carly said brightly.

"Sayonara, Shay!" Sam replied just before hanging up. Carly put the phone down and stared at the laptop screen in front of her, exhaling just slightly. Between Freddie, her coworkers, and now Sam, she was beginning to think that everyone in her life had gone crazy. Then she wrapped up her e-mail to the now former caterer and quickly scrolled through her inbox, giving a quick glance to all the wedding-related messages that had come to clutter her inbox. Not one of them sparked as much excitement as she expected to feel in regards to her big day. All she could feel was the returning burden of stress and self-doubt.

"Okay, I need a breather," she decided aloud to herself. Closing the laptop with a definitive click, she lifted herself from her chair and took her near empty mug into the kitchen to clean. Reaching up to put the freshly cleaned mug into the cupboard, Carly spotted the honey she had left out on the counter. Her perfectionism wouldn't allow her to just leave the adorable bear-shaped bottle in its wrongful spot, so she swiftly picked up the container and turned around to deposit it into the pantry next to the refrigerator.

She made to exit the kitchen once the honeybear was on the correct shelf, but she was suddenly distracted by the photo stuck to the freezer door with a tiny magnet. It was a picture taken of her and Freddie on a weekend trip to San Francisco the previous summer. While sitting in the trolley, Freddie had leaned over and surprised Carly with a sudden kiss on the cheek. Impressively, he was able to capture the moment fairly expertly while mid-kiss on his camera. The look on her face is one of pure glee and completely illustrated the excitement she felt whenever they were together. It was that same excitement that caused a loving smile to spread on Carly's face. The thought of them truly starting their lives together, of them being together until they were old and gray, is what got her through most days. She was disappointed in herself for allowing her wedding anxiety to overshadow what was most important. When she really took a moment to think about it, the fantasies she had about her wedding never included flowers or a certain dress or throngs of people packed like sardines in a castle-like church; they just included his face. That's it.

She was beginning to think she may have been the crazy one.

* * *

><p>As the day progressed, Carly decided to not return to the wedding planning until she could regain some semblance of focus. The TV played in the background, but her attention kept fluctuating between the talk show and the pile of invitations sitting on the floor, yet to be delivered. There was nothing stopping her from sending them, but there was such a finality that came with putting them in the mail. For reasons she couldn't quite place, she resolved to wait until Freddie came home from his workshop before delivering them.<p>

The phone rang for the second time that day. Carly quickly picked up the phone to check the ID. There was no picture this time, but the screen did read "Marissa Benson" across the bottom. With a sigh, Carly steeled herself for a frustrating conversation and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Carly, dear, it's your future mother-in-law. Marissa Benson?" Marissa greeted with the same introduction with every call, as if Carly could possibly confuse her with anyone else.

"Hi, Marissa," Carly hailed with phony enthusiasm. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, but I don't have time for pleasantries, dear," Marissa replied brusquely. "I need you to send five wedding invitations to my cousin and her family. Freddie told me that he didn't plan on inviting Cousin Linda, but I think that would be a little rude."

The amount of restraint that was used in order to hold back a groan was giving Carly a headache. "Marissa," she began slowly, "Freddie and I were trying to keep this even kind of small. Don't you think your cousin would understand if we couldn't invite her?"

"Carly, it's _manners_!" Marissa exclaimed. "What's more important than manners? Now, I've already told them that their invites were coming in the mail. Don't make a liar out of me, missy. Linda's children are allergic to gluten, so you may have to get them a separate cake and you might want to consider a gluten-free menu for the reception. I'm sure that won't be hard and it'll be so healthy! Your guests will appreciate it!"

"Don't you think that may be a bit much?" Carly asked through gritted teeth. Her irritation was coming very close to boiling over and she was trying her best to keep the conversation as civil as possible. Freddie's mother was just beginning to truly like her (instead of simply tolerating her, as she normally did) and she didn't want to jeopardize that, but she didn't appreciate her hijacking the wedding, either. Everything was complicated enough as it was.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Marissa assured, glazing over Carly's reluctance. "I'll tell you what won't be fine, though: that dress."

Carly was confused. "What dress?"

"The wedding dress, you nut!" Mrs. Benson cried dramatically. "You can't wear a strapless dress in that church! It's not right!"

Carly sat up with great alarm. "Marissa, I never showed you my dress! How did you see it?"

"Oh, I did a little snooping around your closet when I came by your apartment for dinner a couple nights ago," she answer nonchalantly. "And it's certainly a good thing I did! If you walk down the aisle in that dress, you are going to look like a… _a_ _Jezebel." _She whispered the last part as if they were in danger of being overheard. "And frankly, this wedding is going to be a reflection of not only you, but Freddie, your father, myself, our family in general!"

Carly was too angry to speak, even though this was far from the first encounter with Marissa Benson's controlling nature. She had just hoped that she would have taken a step back just one time, for the sake of the wedding.

"Carly, Carly, Carly," Marissa continued, in a tone that was both gentle and slightly condescending, "you don't want to feel responsible for your marriage getting off to a bad start, do you?"

And with that, Carly's anger ebbed until there was nothing left but sweet, calm understanding. Marissa was absolutely right.

"No," she answered simply. "No, I definitely don't want to do that."

"Good!' Mrs. Benson chirped happily. "I'm so glad we cold come to an understanding, sweetie. I've gotta go. Tell Freddie to call me as soon as he gets in, okay?"

"I will. Talk to you soon!"

Carly hung up the phone and immediately got up from her seat, reaching for the invitations. As if on cue, she heard the telltale sound of keys jingling at the front door handle. Invitations in hand, she quickly trotted over to the home entrance and unlocked the door, opening it to find a surprised Freddie, keys still aloft where the handle once was. Smiling and without uttering so much as a "hello," she stepped forward and placed a firm kiss on his lips. It didn't take him longer than a second to reciprocate and he placed his hands on her waist. He could not have dreamed of a better welcome.

Carly pulled away, invitations tucked under her arm, and looked into her fiancé's eyes.

"I don't want to go to Vegas," she stated simply.

A smile still etched on her face, Freddie tilted his head in confusion. After only a brief moment of silence, the dots appeared to have connected in his head. He slowly nodded in understanding.

"No Vegas, then," he agreed gingerly. "We can go wherever you want to go."

"No place tacky," she continued, feeling more relieved by the second. "Someplace intimate. Someplace where we can have a simple, small wedding. Beautiful scenery, calming atmosphere, just something unique to us."

Freddie pulled Carly closer so that he could wrap his arms around her once more. "I may know of a place on the east coast. We can go inside and take a look at it together tonight, if you want."

Carly rewarded him with a big smile. "Yes, I would like that very much. Hopefully, this place of yours is close to an airport. I don't think I could do another drive to the east!"

"You got it! No driving. So what do you plan on doing with those invitations, babe?"

Carly leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before extracting herself from his grip. "I'm taking them out to the trash. We don't need 'em."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now that the wedding's over, I can update again!**

**Drake's Delectable Dining is a fabricated business, as far as I know. If there is a catering company with the same name, I assure you that the negative portrayal of said business is purely coincidental!**

**I hope everyone liked this chapter! I'm looking forward to progressing with this story.**

**If you have a moment, feel free to leave a review! Hope everyone is doing well!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: iDon't own iCarly. Also, this story is rated T for language and themes.

* * *

><p>They had intended to commence with their search for the perfect getaway once Carly had returned from the dumpster, however Freddie's excitement over Carly's change of heart caused him to sweep her into a passionate kiss the second she came back through the door. Their kiss quickly escalated into much more, leading to discarded clothing, tangled limbs, and mingled "I love you's" in between crumpled bed sheets. They didn't start their search until hours later as they cuddled closely together in the roomy bed.<p>

"So we can fly directly into Atlanta and drive the hour to Gainesville," Freddie explained expertly to Carly, using his free hand to point the out the trail on the map. "I don't even think the drive would take us that long."

Carly snuggled closer to her soon-to-be-husband, which earned her a kiss on her forehead, and settled even deeper under their comforter. She stared at the laptop screen displaying the flight details while Freddie used his other hand to trace lazy patterns on her bare lower back.

"Gainesville, Georgia, Freddie?" Carly asked, confused by the choice of such a seemingly random city. "I mean, of all the places in the world, why Gainesville, Georgia?"

Freddie gave a low chuckle. "Trust me, it's nothing I can verbalize. You're probably not going to understand until you get there."

Carly lifted herself up just enough to meet Freddie's eye level. "So I won't even know where we're going until we get there? And you can't understand why that would make nervous?"

"You weren't so nervous just ten minutes ago," he countered with suggestive wiggle of his brows.

Carly scoffed and gave him a sharp slap across his bare chest, which was already leaving a slight red mark. Freddie laughed at Carly's brief violent outburst.

"Uh, I think we can agree that I was sufficiently distracted, you ass," she cried indignantly, though she was having some difficulty keeping the laughter out of her voice.

Freddie nodded. "Agreed," he stated simply. "Seriously, though, you've been planning and stressing for the past seven months over a wedding that you weren't even completely sold on. I just don't want you to waste another second on this when I'm confident that I can handle it. Don't worry about it, okay? I can take it from here."

Carly let out a deep sigh and settled against her love's chest once more. It was moments like these that reminded her why she completely and utterly trusted Freddie: he loved her with everything he had and made it clear that his primary concern was her happiness. Any resistance she may have previously felt instantly melted away as soon as she felt a feather light kiss to her temple.

"You trust me?" he asked into her hair.

"Completely," Carly replied serenely.

* * *

><p>The couple went into preparation mode very quickly. Freddie canceled services with all of the vendors (he even managed to get some of the deposits back). Together they came to the conclusion that they should refrain from telling anyone who would try to convince them to not elope (their parents) until they were actually in Georgia. They contacted Spencer Shay first, and were not surprised to find that he was completely behind the idea. The house became instantly charged with his excitement as Carly and Freddie told him the news on speakerphone so they could both hear his response.<p>

"Eloping?" he asked exuberantly. "That's OUTSTANDING! You guys, this is such a cool idea!"

"We're glad you support us, Spence," Freddie exhaled with a wide smile over the speaker while Carly held the phone between them. "We were afraid that people might be upset that we're not, you know, having a real fancy wedding."

"Freddie, big and fancy weddings are overrated and usually pretty boring," Spencer said informatively, " but this - _this_ - is an incredible idea and allows you guys to have a truly unique day! Some people are going to be disappointed by it, but your wedding is about you guys, not anyone else. I, on the other hand, am all for it! Just tell me where I need to be and what I need to do."

They received similar reactions from Sam, Gibby, Taryn and Dallas, who all agreed to meet them at the actual location (not that Carly necessarily knew what that location _was _other than the city and state) the same day that they would arrive, which would be a week before the ceremony. Their old high school friend, Wendy, congratulated the happy couple, but was unable to commit to such a trip. Brad, the former iCarly intern and one of Freddie's groomsmen, agreed to meet them in Gainesville with his wife a few days before the wedding. As promised, Freddie handled all of the details from lodging to the honeymoon while Carly remained, for once, blissfully unaware. She sent an e-mail to her boss requesting the following two weeks off while Freddie spent most of his time on the phone, careful that his conversations were held well out of earshot from Carly.

As the days flew by, Carly's initial anxiety turned into curious excitement, especially when she and Freddie finalized plans to fly out to Atlanta with Spencer. Before long, they found themselves packing for the trip just four days after Carly had agreed to elope.

"I can't believe we're headed across the country in just two days," Carly mused with a shake of her head as dropped another pair of jeans into the suitcase.

Freddie simply smiled and continued to fold his clothes. Carly couldn't help but be impressed by his continued silence regarding the trip, as well as his ability to remain calm in a way that she was unable to throughout the chaos of planning.

"I just can't wait to see everyone," she continued. "Especially Taryn and Dallas!"

"Oh, I know," Freddie agreed enthusiastically, "it's been - what, almost a year and a half?"

Carly nodded in response. They had made a quick trip to Florida to celebrate Taryn's impromptu marriage to her boyfriend, Jax. She had become such good friends with Taryn and Dallas over the coarse of three years that she didn't think twice about asking them to be her bridesmaids. They agreed to the roles with similar certainty.

"Too long," Carly replied with a small smile. "I love when all the girls are together. Dallas will be the only one without a date, though. I hope she doesn't feel like a seventh wheel or anything."

Freddie looked up curiously at Carly while dropping a few folded shirts into the suitcase. "Seventh wheel?"

Carly shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, it'll be you and I, Taryn and Jax, and Sam and Wesley. Dallas might feel like the odd one out."

"Oh," Freddie uttered. "So Wesley _is_ joining us, huh?"

The unenthusiastic tone of his voice, paired with the thoroughly bored expression on his face greatly concerned Carly. When she really took a moment to think about it, he seemed to have a similar reaction every time Sam's boyfriend was mentioned. He's never expressed a blatant dislike for him, but he's never really mentioned liking him, either.

"Yeees," she answered cautiously, "and I have to ask, is there something you're not telling me? Do you have a problem with Sam's boyfriend?"

Freddie opened and closed his mouth a number of times before countering with an unconvincing, "Why would you say that?"

Carly rolled her eyes at Freddie's futile attempt to deflect the question. "Because it's terribly obvious, that's why. For as long as you've known Sam, I would think you would have expressed some sort of opinion about her boyfriend in the three years that she's been dating him. Spill."

Freddie exhaled and shook her head, avoiding eye contact with his fiance while continuing to fold his pants. "I don't know, Carls, I just get a bad vibe from him, that's all."

"Well, why the hell haven't you said anything?" Carly exclaimed. "All this time and you haven't said a word!"

"I don't know! Sam just seems so happy and I don't want to be - you know - _that_ guy. The downer, the prude, the nub…"

Carly dropped the clothing that was in her hand onto the bed and stepped closer to Freddie. "Babe, if you're feeling a little protective of Sam, then there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, your instincts about someone are usually dead on. So," she continued as she sat at the edge of the bed, "elaborate on this 'bad vibe' of yours. What are you thinking? Do you think he's, like, abusive towards her?"

"Oh, no," Freddie assured without hesitation. "Not physically, anyways. She'd mop the floor with him before he'd even get the chance to lay a finger on her, you know this."

"True," Carly agreed simply. "Then what? You think he's a cheater?"

Freddie thought for a moment, seeming a little unsure. "I don't know. It's hard to tell. I want to say 'no,' but then again, I wouldn't put it past him to hide something very well. All I know is that when Sam's around him, she's different. Like, slightly more subdued or just more cautious, and I don't like it."

Carly was surprised to hear Freddie's observation. She did notice that Sam was much calmer around her boyfriend, but she just assumed that it was the natural change in demeanor that everyone displays when they're around someone they're dating. Not once did she think it was anything to be alarmed about.

"I don't know," he continued with a shrug, "he just really sets off my douche bag radar for some reason and I can't quite figure out why."

Carly nodded. "Well, I've always been impressed with the accuracy of your 'douche radar.'"

"Exceptional, isn't it?" Freddie joked. Carly pinched his forearm playfully and stood up to continue packing.

"Well, I'll be sure to keep an eye out."

"Hey, don't let my opinion of him sully yours," Freddie insisted. "I mean, I could be wrong. I doubt that I am, but still, I could be."

Carly chuckled lightly. "Well, we'll certainly see for ourselves soon enough, won't we?"

* * *

><p>Even though it was four o' clock on a Friday morning, the airport was frantic with travelers incoming and outgoing. Carly could not remember the last time she was up this early and not even the excitement of their impending wedding plans could eradicate the overwhelming grogginess she was feeling. Luckily for her, Freddie was just awake enough to keep them on schedule. After checking in their luggage, navigating through security, and taking the tram to the appropriate section of the airport, they found themselves waiting in front of the gate forty-five minutes before their plane was scheduled to take off. Spencer was nowhere to be found.<p>

"I really hope he doesn't miss the flight," Carly said while yawning.

"I tried calling him, but he didn't answer," Freddie sighed. "I hope he hasn't overslept!"

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did."

"Yeah, me neither."

They sat anxiously in their waiting area, periodically looking around in search for Spencer. As the minutes ticked by without any sign of her brother, Carly grew increasingly worried.

"I don't think he's going to make it!" Carly moaned.

Just as Freddie was about to respond, a monotone voice sounded over the intercom.

"May I have your attention, please?" the voice began. "Boarding will now begin at gate D5, Flight 244 to Atlanta. Rows A through F may beginning boarding now. I repeat, now boarding Rows A through F."

As the announcement finished, Carly could hear yelling from far away. She, Freddie, and a small group of passengers turned toward the yelling to find a gangly, brown-haired man running frantically through the thick crowd of people, swinging a duffel bag at his side.

"DOOOOOOON'T FLYYYYY AWAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" the man continued to yell.

"Spencer," Freddie mumbled under his breath, though he looked more relieved than embarrassed.

"Spencer!" she yelled, jumping and waiving her arms. "Over here!"

Spencer spotted his sister and ran towards her and Freddie's direction, nearly knocking a middle-aged woman to the ground. Shouting a few rushed apologies in his wake, he reached them and dropped his bag to the ground.

"Freh…Carl…ohmygod," Spencer sputtered while struggling to regain his breath. He bent over and placed his hands on knees, slowly breathing in and out.

"Spencer!" Carly squealed, forcing her brother upright so that she could give him a big hug. "I can't believe you made it! They just started to board the plane!"

Freddie patted Spencer on the back and picked up his duffel bag. Spencer acknowledged Freddie and placed a hand on his shoulder, still panting.

"I swear I was here a long time ago!" Spencer rushed to defend himself. "Security had a field day with me. They questioned everything in my bag, put me through that body scanner thingy, I was practically half naked most of the time! I swear that last guard winked at me." Spencer thought for a moment, then shuddered.

"Well, you are suspiciously tall…and handsome," Freddie joked with a smirk.

"Oh, that's right, laugh it up," Spencer moaned, "but I tell you, I feel so violated!"

"Attention, passengers," the monotone voice returned over the intercom. "Now boarding rows G through K. I repeat, rows G through K, now boarding."

"That's us!" Carly pointed out. "We better get in line."

They lined up with the rest of the waiting passengers and waited patiently to reach the attendant who was taking boarding passes. Spencer turned to Freddie.

"So is everyone staying in the same place?"

"Uh, yeah," Freddie answered. "Well, most of us, anyway. Brad still has to work until next Wednesday, but him and his wife will be driving to Gainesville and staying in a nearby hotel."

Carly clapped her hands excitedly. "I can't wait to see Brad and Isabelle!" Then she stopped to think. "Wait, so everyone else is going to stay in the same hotel as us?" Her question was met with silence. She narrowed her eyes with great suspicion. "We _are_ staying in a hotel, right?"

Freddie kept his attention forward. "Sort of."

"Sort of? What does that mean?"

"It means," Spencer interjected, "that you're already asking waaaaaay too many questions, little sister. Relax, Freddie's got it handled."

Carly turned to Spencer, clearly perplexed. "How would you know?"

Freddie gently pulled Carly to him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, sweetie. Spencer helped out with a few details."

"And trust me," Spencer added, "Freddie truly knows what he's doing. I can't wait for you to finally see how everything came together."

Carly exhaled and decided to wait patiently to find out what was in store for her. "_I've waited almost a week_," she thought. "_What's a couple more hours?_"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, so here's what happened: this chapter was originally much longer (like, almost triple in size). The problem was that the flow just didn't sit well with me. I meditated on it for a while and decided that the best thing would be to split the chapter in two. It took forever to write, but I've seen stories where certain chapters just dragged. This chapter was in danger of becoming one of those. Sorry, I just couldn't do it. So this chapter functions as more of a setup for the next chapter. **

**On the up side: the next chapter is pretty much already written! I can post it Monday, maybe even sooner. Who knows. :o)**

**I hope you all enjoy the next two chapters, your weekend, and the new episode of iCarly!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**

**P.S. - for those of you who read my story, 1Day: A Creddie Journey, did you know that a movie is coming out based on the book that I based my story on? Who's going to see it (besides me, obviously)?**

**P.P.S. - Do you have a story that you'd like me to check out? Let me know! Creddie, Seddie, Spam, I don't care. I just want to support some of my readers who have supported me for so long. Let me know!**


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as the trio's rental car turned onto the third winding dirt road, Carly immediately wished she had asked more questions. Even in broad daylight, the bumpy dirt roads, the crudely made wooden road signs, the seemingly abandoned, rundown trailers, and the general feeling of being in the middle of nowhere created a very eerie picture and sent multiple chills down Carly's spine.

"Okay, where are the houses?" Carly pondered aloud as she gazed out the window from the backseat. "Or the people? Or civilization, in general?"

"Relax, Carls, we're almost there," Freddie said calmly. "I know exactly where I'm going. Trust me, you'll love it."

Carly pointed out the window. "Freddie, we just passed a deer and it totally gave us the evil eye!"

"I seriously doubt that," Spencer chuckled.

"No, you didn't see it! Freddie this place is creepy!"

"We haven't even gotten to the place yet! Look," Freddie slowed the car down so that he would look in the rearview mirror at his fiance, "our company came here for the retreat last summer. I wouldn't take you anywhere that wasn't completely safe. Just calm down, okay? We're less than two minutes away."

Carly breathed deeply, then exhaled. "Okay, Freddie, I'll relax."

Freddie smiled into the mirror. "Good."

As promised, they slowed down less than two minutes later when they reached a dirt road with another makeshift wooden sign that read "Poinsetta Way." As Freddie turned onto the path, Carly perked up at the sight of pristine-looking (though seemingly out of place) log cabins on each side of the road. She counted six in total and they all looked different in size and structure, but each cabin share the same gorgeous bay windows and beautiful landscaping. Half of the cabins had luxury cars parked in the dirt driveways, a welcomed change from the abandoned trailers she spotted earlier.

"Are we staying in one of these cabins?" Carly asked, stilled awed by the drastic change in scenery. Even the sun appeared to shine brighter over this particular stretch of smooth dirt road.

"Not quite," Freddie answered in the same indirect fashion he had adopted since he began planning the trip.

Before she could question him any further, they approached a long, slender dirt path with large oak tree and elaborate stone mailbox at each side.

"We're here!" Freddie announced as he turned onto the path. Carly didn't see a cabin, but instantly noticed that the path seemed to have guided them through a heavily wooded area. She almost started to worry again, until an area opened up about a quarter of a mile in to reveal their extravagant lodging for the next two weeks.

The sight literally took Carly's breath away.

To call it a log cabin would have been a gross understatement. Carly would have classified this as a log mansion. The dirt path turned into a large stone driveway, which could have comfortably parked eight to ten cars. There was a fire pit to their left with glossy wooden benches next to a large boulder surrounded by colorful wild flowers. None of this, however, could distract Carly from the actual cabin made with mahogany logs and stone. There appeared to be three floors: the first floor could be accessed through the main French glass doors, a grand wooden staircase led to the wrap-around balcony on the second floor, and the top floor had two rooms with private balconies facing the front of the property. Carly found herself glued to her seat in amazement.

Spencer was impressed as well. "Woah!" he breathed. "Nice job, future brother-in-law! How the hell did you swing this?"

Freddie beamed. "My boss is friends with the family that owns this property and he kind of owed me a favor. He got the family to loan us the vacation house for the next couple of weeks. All we have to do is keep it clean."

"This is their _VACATION HOUSE_?" Carly yelped. Freddie laughed.

"Yeah, I had the same reaction last summer."

Carly slowly made her way out of the car just as Freddie cut off the engine. All she could do was stare at the cabin, thanking the heavens that Freddie hadn't made them stay in a boring hotel. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist.

"Wanna go inside?" Freddie asked in a low voice before placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

She nodded dumbly as Freddie led her into the house through the French doors, where they found a massive living room with wooded paneled walls, vaulted wood-beamed ceilings, and hard wood floors. Her senses were immediately teased with a scent that was a mixture of pine and gardenias. All of the furniture was made of either soft beige leather, marble, or upholstered with some sort of delicate fabric that Carly couldn't quite identify, but knew it cost more than her entire wardrobe. Under a theatre-sized flat screen television was a huge fireplace with a large bearskin rug laid before it, which excited Carly to no end because she's never had a fireplace before. Even though it was the middle of August, she decided she would try to convince Freddie to light a romantic fire at least once before they departed. Just to the left of the fireplace was a small hallway, which Carly assumed lead to a bedroom or two.

"Oh, my God," Carly gasped, still unable to grasp their great fortune.

"There are nine bedrooms, five bathrooms, three half bathrooms, a kitchen, a home gym, dining nook, an entertainment room…and a bunch of rooms that I'm forgetting, I'm sure," Freddie rattled off, keeping track of the rooms on his fingers. "Believe it or not, there is wireless internet and incredible cell phone reception out here. There's also a bar in the entertainment room, which Spencer and I will stock sometime today…Uh, Carly, are you getting any of this?"

Carly was clearly lost in the splendor of her surroundings, for she had not heard a word that Freddie said. Smiling, Freddie stepped to her and place his hands on her upper arms. Snapped out of her reverie, she quickly embraced him, on the verge of tears.

"It's all so gorgeous!" she gushed.

"Just wait until you see where we're getting married," Freddie tantalized.

Carly pulled back in order to look Freddie in the eyes. With a raise of an eyebrow, Freddie lead Carly to the back of the house, giving her a brief glimpse of the large kitchen and dining room on the way. She didn't have time to marvel at them, however, because before she knew it, she and Freddie were standing in front of a large arched bay window.

"Look," Freddie instructed, pointing at the scene in the back: a lush, spacious backyard with a wooden dock that lead to a sparkling lake. There was a backdoor that also lead to a deck that was made of wood and stone, complete with comfy patio furniture, a barbecue pit, and decorative tiki torches. Once again, Carly was rendered speechless by the gorgeous scene before her.

"Dallas and Taryn have promised that they're going to decorate the entire deck and backyard so that it's fit for a wedding," Freddie explained.

"And it's going to look FABULOUS!"

Freddie and Carly turned to the familiar voice behind them to find Taryn Glass and Dallas Sheppard, bouncing with excitement and their arms open wide. Carly squealed and quickly embraced both of her friends, engaging in high-pitched greetings that were almost inaudible.

"Ohmygod, you look amazing!" Taryn praised.

"So do you!" Carly replied. "The both of you!"

Truthfully, Carly couldn't remember a time when they had looked better. Taryn had long since given up on her auburn pixie hair and switched to a dark black shoulder-length cut with big curls. She retained some of her edge, however, with the help of some subtle electric blue streaks. Her telltale nose ring still glittered on her right nostril and she still exuded the same genuine good-natured attitude she had when Carly had first met her. Dallas was still a bombshell with her almond-shaped honey brown eyes, rich brown skin, and "come hither" smile. Her hair was now braided with loose, curly ends and hung down her back. Carly hadn't thought it possible, but both women looked in even better shape than they had in their Tifton Academy of the Arts days.

"When did you guys get here? And where's Jax?" Carly asked in Taryn's direction.

"Oh, we just pulled in," Taryn informed her. "And Jax is helping that _rather hot _guy, who claims to be your brother, bring in our luggage. How come you never mentioned how sexy your brother was?"

"Ew," Carly grimaced.

"Please ignore Taryn," Dallas pleaded with a chuckle. "She hasn't eaten yet, so she's liable to say just about anything…though your brother is quite attractive."

"Wow," Freddie sighed, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "Not even a hello?"

"FREDDIE!" Taryn and Dallas cried in unison while making their way to him. The women trapped him in the middle, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek.

"We missed you so much!"

"And look how handsome you are!" Dallas added.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, but I'm happily taken," Freddie joked. The group laughed as they wandered into the kitchen.

"This cabin is insane!" Taryn admired. "I totally pictured something else when you said 'log cabin,' Freddie!"

"Yeah, I have to admit I was a little skeptical," Dallas added, "but this is unbelievable. I can't wait until Sam gets here!"

"Me, neither!" Carly agreed. "Her and Wesley should be here soon."

Taryn perked up. "Speaking of Wesley: Jax and I were talking the other day and do you know what he said? He says, 'I don't like the guy!' I couldn't believe it! Jax doesn't really dislike anyone!"

As if on cue, the sound of luggage being dropped on the hardwood floor reverberated around the house. The group met Jax, a muscular man with sandy blonde hair, and Spencer in the living room, Carly and Freddie greeted the friendly man and allowed for Spencer to introduce himself to Taryn and Dallas.

"So what are y'all talkin' about?" Jax questioned in his thick, Southern drawl.

"Oh, just how excited we are to see Sam and Wesley," Dallas responded with a nod of her head.

Jax grunted. "Don't like the guy."

"Me, neither," Freddie piped in.

"What is up with you two?" Taryn questioned in disbelief. "Is there something I'm not seeing?"

"I don't see it, either," Carly reassured her with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm telling you, there's something off about that guy…I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I'm around him, I just have the urge to punch him in the throat," Jax explained, then illustrated his point by pounding his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"But he's so nice!" Dallas reasoned, though she couldn't help but laugh at Jax's assessment.

Freddie scoffed. "No, he's slimy. There's a difference."

"Now, now," Spencer interjected. "I'm sure he's an alright guy if Sam sees something in him. Who knows, maybe you guys will change your mind this week!"

With that, the group went up the stairs and took a tour of the different bedrooms in the cabin. All of the rooms were relatively plain in décor aside from the walls, which were painted bold colors and differed by room. Taryn and Jax chose to bunk in a room that was painted royal blue. Dallas settled in hot pink-colored room next Taryn while Spencer took the room with bright green walls. After briefly plopping his belongings on the bed, he reentered the hallway in front of Carly and Freddie before they could tour any further.

"There's a room downstairs with a necktie wrapped around the doorknob. You guys are not allowed to go into that room until the wedding night," Spencer instructed the pair. "No exceptions, no peeksies."

Freddie shared a curious look with Carly, then shrugged. "You got it, Spence. We'll steer clear."

They continued to check out the other rooms until Freddie and Carly settled on a room with orange walls. Freddie sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Carly towards him.

"Everyone is going to head out the day after the ceremony next Friday," Freddie said with a smile, settling his hands on her hips. "And then we'll have this entire house to ourselves for a whole week. How does that sound?"

A Cheshire grin slowly spread across Carly's face and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sounds likes my first week as Mrs. Carly Benson is going to be a very exhilarating one!"

Freddie emitted a low chuckle and leaned in to give her a kiss. Before their lips could touch, Carly's phone rang. Freddie rolled his eyes at their poor timing while Carly checked her phone.

"It's Sam!" Carly exclaimed just before answering the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm inside the house, but this place is so huge, I'm afraid I might get lost!"

Carly shrieked with joy before bolting out of the room and down the stairs, leaving Freddie behind. When she reached the bottom step, she only had to see the mass of blond curls before almost tackling her to the ground in a tight hug.

"I've missed you so much!" the women said simultaneously. They hugged for a couple seconds longer before Carly stepped back and took a look at her best friend. Sam certainly looked different. Even well into her adulthood, Sam had been known to sport her tomboy style, unless she was in a performance. Today, she arrived in a flowery sleeveless sundress with a powder blue cardigan with the sleeves pushed up above her elbows. She wore strappy brown sandals in lieu of her converse and her nails were even - Carly almost had to gasp at the sight - painted a light shade of pink. This was a new look entirely for Sam.

Carly also noticed how thin Sam was. Thankfully, she wasn't dangerously thin, but still a little too thin for Sam's small stature. Sam had always prided herself on her muscle definition (which she often used to scare her prey) and though there was still a hint of it remaining, it was greatly overshadowed by overall delicate frame. Carly wasn't sure if she should be worried or if weight loss just came with the territory of being a professional dancer.

"Wow, Sam you look so…" Carly decided not to touch the subject of her diminishing weight until they were alone, so instead she went with "girly!"

Sam fiddled with her cardigan self-consciously while Wesley entered with some of their luggage.

"Yeah, I'm, y'know, trying something new," Sam mumbled while an uncharacteristic blush crept over her cheeks.

"And she looks incredible," Wesley added, moving next to Sam in order to wrap a protective arm around her waist. He kissed Sam's temple and plastered a smile on his face. "It's good to see you, Carly."

"It's good to see you, too, Wesley," Carly greeted rather formally. Even though she'd met him a handful of times, she never quite felt like they had reached a comfortable level that would allow her to call him "Wes" or give him a hug. She never questioned it because her main concern was that he made her best friend happy (which she always assumed he did), but she now saw it as a potential red flag after hearing Freddie's and Jax's disapproval of him.

Seeing Wesley and Sam together always perplexed both Carly and Freddie. When they were younger, Sam often expressed attraction for the same types of boys: the surfer, the skater, the rocker, or the culinary student. Wesley seemed to be the antithesis of all of that with his blonde buzz cut, light blue polo, khaki pants, and lack of piercings and tattoos. Carly could identify with Sam falling for his perfectly white smile or the dimple on his left cheek, but she didn't expect Freddie to be quite as understanding.

Freddie and Spencer descended down the stairs, both men smiling at the sight of their longtime friend.

"Sam!" Spencer hailed opening his arms wide for a big hug.

"Hey, Spencer!" Carly watched Sam interact with Spencer. Though she expressed some happiness to see the man that acted as an older brother figure for almost fourteen years of her life, the hug she gave him was timid and polite. She then proceeded to greet Freddie by name (not "Nub" or "Freddifer" or anything of the sort) and treated him with the same muted embrace.

The odd gesture was not lost on Freddie nor Spencer, but neither of them chose to say anything in that moment. Instead, Spencer spotted Wesley and stretched his hand out for a handshake.

"You must be Wesley! I'm Spencer, Carly's brother."

Wesley took his hand and shook it courteously. "Wesley Dillard. Pleasure to meet you, Spencer!"

"Have you guys had a chance to look around?"

"Uh, not yet. Are Taryn and Dallas here yet?" Sam asked.

"Second floor," Freddie directed, pointing behind him towards the stairs.

"Sweet! I'm gonna pop upstairs and say hello."

As she journeyed up the stairs, Wesley excused himself in order to grab more items from their car. As soon as he left, Freddie wasted no time rounding on Carly.

"Did you see that?" he interrogated with a loud whisper. His brows were furrowed in frustration while his eyes were wild with confusion. "Who _was_ that? A polite, well-mannered shell of a Samantha Puckett, maybe, but that was _definitely_ not the Sam Puckett we know! You see what I'm saying now?"

"I don't know, maybe," Carly sighed and shook her head, "but they just got here. We can't jump to conclusions this quickly."

"Carly's right, Freddie," Spencer added. "Just because she may have changed a little, it doesn't necessarily mean it's for the worse."

"Thank you, Spencer," Carly said, pleased to see her brother acting as the voice of reason.

"Still," Spencer continued, with a raise of his hand, "it definitely wouldn't hurt to keep a close eye on her. Carly, she looked a little on the frail side."

She had hoped that that detail was in her head, but she wasn't about to deny it now that someone else had taken notice. Deep down, she knew that she needed to keep a close eye on her best friend, but she hoped that she could do so without provoking a lot of drama.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you all enjoy this next installment! I'm already working on the next chapter. Please review, if you'd like!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	6. Chapter 6

The group spent the day chatting, catching up, and settling in. The four girls sat in the living room and conversed animatedly while the men congregated in the kitchen and came up with a plan for that night's dinner. After a while, Freddie and Jax agreed to barbecue for the house and Spencer volunteered to bar tend. He mentioned venturing out in the town to find a liquor store close by.

"No need," Jax stated plainly. "The girls loaded the car with boxes of liquor just before we left. They said it was a gift for Carly, though I suspect it was more for them and Sam than anyone else. We should have enough to last us the entire stay here, including some leftover for Carly and Freddie to enjoy once we all leave."

Wesley strolled a little closer to the men, one hand casually in his pocket. "Actually, Sam isn't that big of a drinker. I doubt she'll really partake in all the booze with the rest of the girls."

The three men looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Uhhh, brother, Sam's always been the biggest drinker out of the lot of us," Jax said to Wesley, who he believed to be very misinformed. "Hell, she can drink _me_ under the table. And she has. Twice."

Wesley chuckled. "Well, maybe she did back in the day, but not these days. She'll enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner every now and again, sure, but her drinking days are long gone."

Freddie stood next to Jax, narrowing his eyes at the guy he was beginning to truly dislike. "Sam hates wine," he countered. "She says wine is for snobs and hipsters."

Wesley shook his head smugly. "Freddie, I don't know when you hung out with Samantha last, but she's not the same acid-tongued bully with dirt under her fingernails. She's quite the lady now."

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wesley prodded, removing his hand from his pocket in order to cross his arms over his chest.

"HEY, so Freddo," Spencer interjected, preventing the inevitable argument from surfacing, "when is the Gibster getting here?"

Freddie maintained an intense glare with Wesley and was tempted to press the matter, but he heard Spencer clear his throat warningly and when facing his direction, he could practically hear Spencer's eyes pleading with him to drop the subject. With a sigh, Freddie answered. "Uh, Gibby's flight was delayed. The last text I got from him said he was finally boarding, and that was only an hour ago."

"Oh, okay, so he should be here in a few hours," Spencer speculated.

"Yeah, by nightfall, at least. Hopefully, he doesn't get lost."

"Man, I cannot wait to meet this Gibby guy," Jax said, leaning forward against the island in the kitchen. "After all the stories I've heard, I just want to see if this dude is for real."

Spencer and Freddie laughed knowingly. "Yeah, that's a pretty common reaction," Spencer nodded.

Freddie put up a hand. "Hey, in Gib's defense, he's grown up a fair amount. Still kind of weird, but grown up nonetheless."

* * *

><p>"So I go to this guy's 'discotheque' to check it out…total strip club."<p>

The girl break out into an explosion of laughter at the end of Taryn's story. Carly took a moment to wipe away the tear that escaped the corner of her eye, still clutching the business card that Taryn had handed to her as proof of her story.

"Of course it was a strip club, Taryn!" Carly cried, pointing at the card. "His name was LeMont Stax and the "s" is replaced by a dollar sign! And is that a gold tooth?"

"This is the s-second time I've huh-heard this story and it's still hilarious!" Sam sputtered, rendered breathless from all of the laughter.

Taryn leaned forward and snatched the card from Carly's hand just as the girls dissolved into another fit of laughter. "Yeah, it's hilarious now, but at the time, Jax went into total 'psycho mode' when I told him about it."

Dallas reigned in her laughter in time to add, "Yeah, it was kind of scary. His face got all red and he was eerily silent. Next thing we know, Jax was in his truck and barreling down the highway to the guy's club. We had to chase after him in my Prius! Have you ever been involved in a 'high-speed chase' in a damn Prius?"

Carly tipped her head back and laughed once more. "Taryn, you are so lucky Jax is so protective. He wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"I could say the same about Freddie!" Taryn pointed out. "He worships you, Carly."

Carly smiled to herself, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world in that moment. "Yeah, he's been like that since we were twelve. It sucks that I couldn't have realized how much of a blessing he was sooner, but I'm so happy I finally wised up, you know?"

All the girls nodded with the exception of Sam, who seemed a little distracted. Carly used her uncharacteristic silence as an opportunity to find out a little more about Wesley.

"So, Sam," she began, twisting her position in order to face her. "Is Wesley the same way with you? You know, all protective and stuff?"

"I can't imagine Sam Puckett needing much protection, can you?" Taryn posed the question to the other two women with a slight chuckle. Carly marveled at the fact that, if asked this question a year ago, she would have answered a certain way with great confidence. Now, as she looked at her shrinking frame and somewhat quiet demeanor, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Well, he is pretty protective of me," Sam offered slowly, "but in different ways. Like, he's definitely not a fighter. I mean, look at him."

Carly understood what she meant. To her, Wesley looked like a guy who would rather call a security guard for help than mess up his slacks in a scuffle.

"He's more protective of me, career-wise," Sam continued. "Always making sure the dancing gigs are legit, he insists that he looks over all of my contracts before I sign anything, he even got me that awesome job with the West Side Story national tour last year. He just wants me to be the best."

Carly was now a little confused. The sentiment should have sounded sweet to her, but it didn't. It wasn't until Dallas voiced her concern that she realized why.

"Sammy P, you make him sound more like a manager or a stage mom than a boyfriend."

Sam considered what she said for a moment before shaking her head. "No, he's totally an awesome boyfriend. He just likes to keep me focused, and I think we can all agree that I can have a tough time focusing."

"What do you mean, 'focused?'" Taryn pressed.

"I just mean that he's a competitive person and he gets what it takes to be a winner and he likes to keep me motivated. He trains with me, keeps me on my diet, and makes sure I'm keeping myself one step ahead of all the other thousands of dancers competing for the same things I'm going after, that's all."

She couldn't tell whether or not the little Sam had revealed had sparked any concern in Taryn or Dallas, but Carly definitely felt like something was amiss. Was his constant concern regarding her success as a dancer pushing her to this sudden weight loss, along with the wardrobe change and personality transplant? She wanted to learn just a little more, but she knew that if they pried any further, Sam would begin to get on the defensive. As it was, she was already looking a little fidgety. Luckily, Taryn appeared to have caught the same vibe.

"Well, it looks like we're all some lucky ladies," she said with an air of resolve, which Carly was thankful for. A subject change was just what they needed.

"Not all of us," Dallas said with a slightly bitter tone, despite the small smile she allowed to flash.

"Oh, c'mon, Dallas, we all know just how picky you are," Sam countered, throwing a pillow across the sectional at her former roommate. "You're hot, you could have any guy you wanted."

Dallas shook her head. "I can't tell if my mojo is gone or what, but I've had quite the dry spell and I'm over it."

Carly shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find some lumberjack-lookin' man deep in these woods somewhere!"

Dallas shook her head. "Yeah, maybe, but I doubt it."

* * *

><p>Everyone took time to explore the property throughout the day. Taryn and Jax took a walk through the woods on a path that they discovered. Spencer, Freddie, and Wesley took one of the cabin's canoes out into the lake. Carly laughed when she heard Wesley bragging about his success on the crew team during his undergrad days, as she could imaging Freddie's eyes rolling to the back of his skull at every word, even though she couldn't see him. Dallas had wandered off to talk to her father on the phone while Sam and Carly looked around the home gym on the basement floor.<p>

"As nice as this equipment is, I don't plan on using a bit of it while I'm here," Carly mused, running a hand over the rail of the treadmill, which looked like it may have been top-of-the-line. "It's my wedding vacation and I plan on being a fat kid the entire time!"

Sam chuckled lightly. "Well, you should, cupcake! This week is all about you! The rest of us have to continue working on ourselves."

Carly fixed an incredulous expression on her childhood friend. "Sam, how can you say that when you're impossibly thin? What, does Wesley think you should spend your time working out this week?"

Sam narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You know, you all seem to have a lot of questions about Wesley all of a sudden. We've been together for years. Why the sudden interest?"

"Why the sudden change of subject?" Carly challenged with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Seriously, Sam, here is all of this coming from? You've never been this concerned about your image. It's weird."

Sam furrowed her eyebrows and prepared to answer back until she heard the sound of the front door opening and a familiar voice booming at the entrance overhead.

"YO, YO! IS ANYONE HOME?" the voice yelled. The two women put their conversation on hold while they made their way up the short number of steps to investigate the new source of the noise. As they quickly padded their way across the landing and through the dining area, a tall, very muscular man came into view by the door. Even though his build was quite different from that of his younger, huskier days, there was no mistaking that spiked light brown hair and boyish smile.

"GIBBY!" both woman excitedly hollered in unison, ready to engulf their childhood friend in a warm embrace.

"My girls!" he returned, just as exuberantly. He reached out to Carly first, as she was the first one to reach him.

"Carly Soon-To-Be Benson!" he greeted. Carly giggled as the large man wrapped his arms around her back and squeezed her tight. Carly attempted to wrap her arms just above his waist, but found it very difficult to circle him completely. Gibby had always been the largest one of the four, but a college-born passion for nutrition and fitness has turned him into a wall of muscle comparable to a football player. Carly was happy to find that his ability to give the best hugs has not changed in the years that she's known him.

"It's so good to see you!" Carly gushed.

"I can't believe you and Freddie are getting married!" Gibby marveled in awe. "Hey, did Freddie mention that I'm ordained?"

Carly looked pulled away and looked back at him with wide, confused eyes. "Uuuh, no. He, surprisingly, kept that little tidbit to himself!"

"Well, if you need someone to officiate your nuptials…" He completed his offer by simply pointing both of his thumbs at himself with an expectant smile.

Sam cleared her throat loudly, drawing attention from both Carly and Gibby. Her arms were outstretched awkwardly.

"Am I seriously going to be left hanging here?"

Gibby answered by wrapping his arms around the blonde in a hug so tight that he literally lifted her off her feet.

"Sam, I've missed your guts!" he declared just before stopping cold, then giving Sam a shake while she remained aloft. "Damn, Puckett, are you eating? I think one of my duffel bags is heavier than you!"

Sam managed to ball up a fist and pound on Gibby's back in protest.

"I can still beat you senseless, Gibson," Sam warned. Though Carly never cared for Sam's proclivity for violence when they were younger, she couldn't help but appreciate the first sign of the old Sam she'd seen since her arrival.

"Aww, I'm just messin' with ya, Sam," Gibby soothed as he set her back down on the ground. "Seriously, though, you look hella thin."

"So! Where's your stuff, Gib?" Carly rushed to interject. She could tell Sam was already on edge thanks to the near-confrontation in the gym. The last thing she needed was Gibby's bluntness to get her even more upset.

"It's in the rental," Gibby answered, pointing over his shoulder at the door. "I figured I'd check the place out first. This cabin is INSANE!"

"I know!" Carly beamed proudly. "Freddie pulled some incredible strings."

"Where _is_ the lucky groom?" Gibby asked. He stepped around the women and strained to look around the area of the kitchen.

"He's out on the lake with Spencer and my boyfriend," Sam answered.

"Oh, so I finally get to meet the famous Wesley, huh?" Gibby smirked and crossed his large arms over his chest.

Carly was anxious for her straight-forward friend to meet Sam's boyfriend. She figured if there was any valid reason to be leery of Wesley, Gibby would most likely be the vocal one out of the group.

"Looks like it," Sam answered with a nervous smile. Carly suspected that Sam may have been thinking along the same lines as she was regarding Gibby's frank nature.

Gibby was just about to say something when the front door opened behind him and Dallas walked in, apparently done with her phone conversation. The group of friends turned in her direction and she looked at the new houseguest curiously before dawning comprehension set in.

"You're Gibby!" she realized aloud. "I've heard so much about you _and _I saw a video of you doing some dares a few years ago for the iCarly special taped at our house!" She offered him the hand that wasn't holding her cell phone. "I'm Dallas, Sam's former roommate."

Gibby smiled and gave her a firm handshake. "No, I've heard awesome things about you and the other girl, Taryn! It's great to meet you!"

"Taryn and her husband should be back from their walk soon," Carly informed Gibby. "They're both dying to meet you!"

Gibby laughed as the group made their way to back door so that he could say hello to Spencer and Freddie. Once they spotted the new arrival, Freddie and the other men paddled their way back to the dock. Once safely out of the canoe, Freddie rushed to welcome his friend with Spencer close behind. Gibby greeted Wesley politely and everyone returned to the house as the sun began to set behind them.

Dinner that night was mostly a friendly affair. All of the house occupants sat at a large picnic-style table on the patio deck and enjoyed the delicious barbecue that all of the men prepared. Jax and Gibby were engrossed in a chat about an all-protein diet while Spencer sipped on a beer and listened to Taryn and Dallas reminisce about their college days in Orlando. Sam chimed in occasionally, but mostly remained resigned to her meager dinner of salad and a pitiful grilled chicken breast. Wesley didn't engage too much in the conversations happening around him, but would randomly look at Sam's plate, then at Sam with a silent look of approval before returning to his own meal of ribs and corn-on-the-cob. Carly noticed each time Freddie threw a concerned look Sam's way, but was thankful that he chose to remain quiet about it for the time being (even though she was certain it would be all they would talk about when they returned to their room). Luckily, Wesley managed to get through the dinner without saying anything that could possibly set Freddie off.

"_It would be great if the rest of the week could remain just like this_," Carly opined, "_but what are the chances of that happening?_"

* * *

><p>"So tell me you don't think there's something up with Sam's idiot of a boyfriend," Freddie demanded once they retired to their room just an hour after dinner ended. Carly originally thought that everyone would want to continue to party into the night, but when she found herself exhausted from the days travels, she was relieved to learn that everyone was experiencing the same jet lag. Carly had barely managed to fully close the door before Freddie launched his newest tirade against Wesley.<p>

"Well, I have to admit: there's definitely something going on," she conceded. She took a seat at the edge of the bed and shrugged. "I just don't want to jump to conclusions until I get a chance to really talk to Sam." Then she gave her fiancé a warning glare. "And you really shouldn't, either."

"Carls, I've spent a good portion of my day with that nub and let me inform you that my opinion of him has only worsened," Freddie said as he riffled through his luggage for a pair of pajamas and a t-shirt. "He's arrogant, smug, and totally pompous. I'm not alone in thinking that, either. Spence hasn't said anything yet, but I can tell he's getting the same vibe."

"Still," Carly pressed with a raised hand, "it's only day one. We don't want to make any assumptions and risk ruining our wedding getaway." She meant to continue, but was momentarily distracted by the site of Freddie removing his shirt, the muscles in his arms flexing slightly as he pulled the article over his head. She closed her eyes briefly in efforts to regain her train of thought. Unfortunately for her, Freddie noticed.

"Sorry, babe, did I throw you off?" Freddie teased with a laugh as he balled up his shirt and tossed it on a nearby armchair.

"Oh, shut up!" Carly cried defensively. Freddie moved to stand before Carly and placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"I promise I will try my best to behave myself while they're here," Freddie said seriously. "Just promise me that if you find out anything alarming - anything at all - you won't keep it from me. I just want the old, foul-mouthed, ham-devouring Sam back."

Carly sighed. "Me, too." She thought to herself for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm going to do my best to figure out what's going on. Just give me some time."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, I thought I would have an abundance of free time after the wedding! Oh, how wrong I was. But I thank you all SO MUCH for your patience!**

**Please take a moment to review! I always appreciate hearing from you!  
><strong>

**Love you all!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	7. Chapter 7

" '_kay, so…gathering intel is going to be a little harder than I thought_."

Ever since she had promised to get more information regarding Sam and Wesley's relationship the night before, she was finding it increasingly difficult to get a moment alone with her maid-of-honor. She had originally planned to use a trip to the nearest mall as an excuse to pry a little deeper, but Dallas and Taryn invited themselves on the trip when they heard they were looking for bridesmaid dresses. While she was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was causing so much change in Sam, she new better than to broach the subject while the other girls were around. The last thing she wanted was for Sam to feel like she was being ganged up on.

Carly then came up with the idea for her and Sam to cook dinner for the house that night. Sam agreed to the idea, renewing Carly's hope. When they arrived at the cabin, however, they found Gibby in the kitchen, surrounded by mounds of dough, cheese, vegetables and various meats. He was sporting a flour-dusted apron and a self-satisfied grin.

"It's pizza night, ladies!" he declared. "You're welcome. Now, go relax and don't come in this kitchen for any reason. If you need anything, find the nearest gentleman and we'll be happy to serve you."

"Awwww," Taryn and Dallas simultaneously cooed.

"I know," he said with a smirk as he returned to his culinary duties.

"That's awesome, Gib," Sam praised. Carly nodded and smiled as she tried her best to internalize her frustration. When Taryn suggested that they change into their bathing suits and sunbathe on the back deck, Carly remained quick on her feet and invited Sam to join her on a canoe ride out on the lake. She was optimistic when Sam agreed, but once again thwarted when Wesley stopped them in their tracks on the way out to the lake. He asked what they were doing, Sam told him, then he proceeded to invite himself on their trip.

Now Carly sat in the back of the canoe, stuck out on the lake with the couple she was supposed to be investigating. As she slowly paddled in time with her two canoe mates, she struggled to hold back the annoyed groan she'd wanted to let slip all day.

"Sweetheart, your strokes have to stay in time with mine and Carly's," Wesley instructed his girlfriend, who appeared to only be a half second off with her paddle. Carly couldn't see where anything that Sam was doing made a major difference to their movement. Neither, apparently, could Sam.

"Babe, why does it matter if I'm a little off?" Sam asked with unabashed confusion. "We seem to be moving just fine, are we not?"

"Samantha, how many times do I have to explain that attention to detail is always important, inside and outside of competition?" Wesley countered, seemingly exasperated. "Precision, persistence, and perfection are what separate life's winners from its losers. I'm sure Carly would agree with that sentiment, considering her naturally competitive line of work."

"Oh, I don't know," Carly interjected nervously, continuing to keep time with her paddle. "I don't think any of that applies with a fun paddle ride."

Wesley chuckled, and Carly found herself immediately bothered by his ability to make such an innocent sound like laughing sound so condescending. She was beginning to understand Freddie's point of view when it comes to Wesley's personality. She just wished she had something a little more substantial on which to base a more solid opinion.

"Oh, Carly, what's the point of doing anything if you aren't trying to be the best at it?"

"_How is it that I feel _this_ stressed out about something that supposed to be fun?" _Carly thought to herself. "_Is this the type of pressure Sam has to live with? No wonder she's so thin!_"

"You know, sweetheart," he continued, taking a moment to grunt as he stroked the paddle once more, "we should really think about adding rowing to your workout routine. It's great for your biceps and I've notice that your arms have lost some of its definition."

Sam gave a slight groan. "Baby, do we really need to talk about it right now?"

"I just don't think you should let this vacation cause you to lose focus-"

"Uh, this isn't just some vacation! This is my best friend's wedding!"

"HEY, IS THAT A SHARK?" Carly blurted in desperation as she pointed somewhere in the general distance. The couple stopped bickering momentarily in order to check out the direction in which Carly was pointing. After a brief moment, they both turned around with expressions of utter confusion. Carly giggled nervously. "Guess it was just a floating branch. Still, we should head back to the dock."

There was another brief pause before Wesley shook his head and positioned his paddle in order to head back to land, all the while mumbling something about "shark hallucinations." Carly was well aware of how crazy she looked in that moment, but she figured that anything would be better than being stuck on the world's most awkward canoe ride. Much to her dismay, the trip back was just as uncomfortable.

"So, you ladies went shopping today?" Wesley inquired to both female passengers.

"We did," Carly replied, "and we found the most beautiful maid-of-honor dress for Sam! She looks incredible."

"I'm sure she does," the man said with the utmost confidence. "I just hope that you ladies settled upon a dress that was appropriate."

Sam stopped paddling in order to regard her boyfriend with an expression of total disbelief.

"What exactly do you think we came back with? A thong and some nipple pasties?"

"Samantha, don't be ridiculous!" Wesley's voice was raised a little higher than necessary, in Carly's opinion, considering that he was the one that questioned their judgment. "I just hope that you haven't gotten caught up in the whole… 'unconventional atmosphere' surrounding the wedding," he explained, complete with air quotes. "Just because Carly and Freddie are choosing to do things outside the box, doesn't give any of you ladies an excuse to be anything less than classy."

"Hey!" Carly piped in, offended. "Just because Freddie and I are doing things a little differently, doesn't make our wedding any less classy!"

"Of course not, Carly," Wesley sighed, apparently exhausted between the two women. "I'm just worried that Samantha may have been influenced by the other girls to buy something a little racy and may not have taken into account that we would be amongst other men this week."

Carly laughed curtly. "Spencer and Gibby are hardly men, Wesley. Not men you should be worried about, at least."

"Well, in any case, propriety is propriety. I just don't want my lady embarrassing herself nor me, that's all."

Carly continued to paddle as she looked desperately towards Sam. The girl she grew up with would have taken this opportunity to verbally rip into any man who tried to tell her how she should dress or act. She might have even thrown him from the boat. For once, Carly was hoping to see a glimmer of the temperamental, irrational, violent fiery force that used to come so naturally.

Now, all she saw was young woman whose fire had been temporarily doused…or she at least hoped it was temporary. Carly especially disliked the way Sam couldn't quite meet her eye-to-eye, as if she knew she was holding back. She decided not to challenge Wesley any further for fear of overstepping her boundaries, even though it was becoming increasingly clearer that he was the driving force behind Sam's sudden loss in spirit. Instead, they all rowed to shore in pregnant silence.

"_So how am I going to tell Freddie that he was right without having to suffer through his stupid 'I'm So Right' dance,_" Carly thought to herself, already visualizing his taunting pelvic thrusts and alternating fist pumps. The brunette contemplated the best approach throughout their seemingly lengthy return to the dock.

* * *

><p>"I seriously can't get over how amazing this weather is," Dallas gushed as Jax reached over Taryn and passed her the vegetable pizza. She grabbed a slice and placed the remaining pie at the end of the oversized picnic table. Everyone was seated on the deck outside while enjoying Gibby's hard work. Carly scanned the table in search of the seafood pizza, hoping to get a second slice before it disappeared for good.<p>

"It's, like, ideal running weather!" Dallas continued.

"Yeah, and the hills around here would make for a pretty good workout," Gibby added, leaning forward in order to speak to Dallas, as well as to grab one of the bowls of salad.

"Right?" Dallas agreed. She took a small bite of her slice, then turned to Taryn. "Hey, Tar, do you wanna go for a run tomorrow morning? Bright and early. You know the drill."

Taryn stilled for a moment, her slice of pepperoni pizza inches from her mouth as her eyes shifted just slightly. "Uhhh, you know, Dal, I think I left my shoes at home."

Dallas simply shook her eyes. "You didn't. I saw them by your door just before we left your house and grabbed them for you. They should be in the back seat."

Carly thought she saw Jax stifle a laugh, but she wasn't sure.

"Well, I don't think I brought any workout close with me, so…" Taryn trailed off. Carly turned more fully towards Taryn. What was she hiding?

"No worries!" Dallas replied cheerfully. "I have plenty of clothes you can borrow. You know I always over-pack, girl!"

Jax was much less successful in holding back his laughter this time around and let out a somewhat muffled snicker. This earned him a furtive glare from his wife and a questioning glance from the rest of the table.

"Honey, you might as well just _tell_ her," Jax reasoned firmly.

Dallas set her crust on the plate and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and fixing the cryptic couple with an expectant expression.

"Tell me what?"

"It's nothing," Taryn rushed to deny.

Jax groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh, c'mon this is - ergh! Look, Dallas, Taryn doesn't want to work out with you anymore."

Dallas gasped dramatically as Taryn turned to punch her husband in the arm.

"Dammit, Jax!" she cried.

"H'oh boy," Freddie mumbled under his breath next to Carly as he reached for the salad bowl. Spencer was sitting next to him at the head of the table with wide eyes. Carly turned to him and shared a brief amused look before returning to scene unfolding before everyone's eyes.

"Taryn, what is he talking about?" Dallas pointed at Jax as she interrogated her friend.

"Look, sweetie, it's not that I don't want to 'work out with you anymore,' per say," Taryn attempted to explain with a tender tone, "I just…you know, when we go running together-"

"Taryn says you're real mean," Jax interjected before taking another bite of his meaty pizza. "Yelling and everything."

"Wow, Jax, do you, like, EVER want to have sex again?" Taryn exploded. As Carly tried to suppress the laugh that threatened to boil over, Freddie coughed in order to cover up his own impending laughter.

"_Wha_- I am NOT mean!" Dallas shrieked.

Taryn sighed. "It's just that…when I start to get tired and slow down, you tend to get a little…intense." She paused. "_Really _intense. The last time we went running you began resorting to name-calling. What was it that you called me?" Taryn took a moment to think, then snapped her fingers when she remembered. "A-ha! 'Molasses Ass!' You called me 'Molasses Ass!'"

Spencer let out a loud snort of laughter, which caused the rest of the group to look in his direction. Embarrassed, he quickly stood up.

"Hey!" he said with a little too much enthusiasm. "Who wants a beer?" Before waiting for anyone to answer, he quickly disappeared into the house. Everyone's attention quickly returned to Dallas and Taryn.

"Look," Taryn began firmly. "All I'm saying is that you take your workouts really seriously and you turn into a drill sergeant because of it."

"Yeah, it's kind of true, Dal," Sam added from Carly's left. Sam opened her bottle of diet Peppy Cola. "You did used to get kind of scary in the gym during weight-lifting. I think I even saw your eyes glow red one time."

"I'm just trying to inspire you!" Dallas exclaimed, desperate for her friends to see her point of view.

"Makes sense to me," Wesley quipped with a shrug. Carly looked to her left side at Sam, who said nothing and continued to sip her soda. Carly wondered for a second if Wesley acted like Dallas when he and Sam worked out together. The thought alone made her want to slap him. She didn't dare look in Freddie's direction, however, in fear of possibly encouraging him to say something back.

"Dal, I really don't do well with that kind of inspiration. I hated it at Tifton and I can't handle it now. I didn't really plan on doing too much exercise on my vacation, anyways."

Dallas let out a defeated exhale. "Well, this sucks! I can't go running by myself! What if I get snatched?"

Gibby shrugged then leaned forward once again to speak to Dallas. "I can go running with you."

Dallas perked up a little. "Really?"

"Sure!" Gibby replied. "I've been slacking lately on my cardio, so I could use a run. Heck, I don't even mind a little yelling and some creative name-calling. It might just get me up some of those hills a little quicker."

Dallas gave him a small smile. "Cool. Thanks, Gibby!"

"See?" Carly blurted out, happy to see some resolution, though she wouldn't deny being fully entertained by their display. "Everyone's happy!"

Dallas nodded, then turned to Taryn with an apologetic expression. "Sorry for getting all 'psycho trainer' on your ass, Tar."

"Awwww, it's okay, boo!" Taryn accepted graciously before hugging her friend. Jax and Freddie applauded in jest and the rest of the table laughed. Carly offered to take some of the empty pizza plates off the table to allow everyone a little more elbow room. Grabbing the nearest ones, she stood and made her way into the house. She found Spencer deep in refrigerator.

"We're almost out of beer and bottled water, so I'm going to make a quick run around the corner," Spencer explained without even turning around to see who entered the house. He stood upright, closed the door, then turned around and nodded his head towards the back door. "Are they still at it?"

"Nope, they resolved it," Carly said as she went over to the sink to deposit the dirty dishes. "Gibby's even gonna go jogging with Dallas so she doesn't have to go alone!"

"Nice," he replied. "Didn't mean to laugh out there, but…c'mon 'Molasses Ass?' Genius!"

Carly couldn't help but laugh along with her brother as Freddie entered the kitchen with more dishes. "Hey, thought you might need some help. Dishes between nine people pile up quick."

"Thanks, Freddie. Bring it over here, I think I'm going to wash them now before we forget."

"You wash, I'll dry," Freddie suggested, placing the dining ware in the basin.

"Alright, guys, I'll be back soon," Spencer called out over his shoulder as he exited. Carly started to run the faucet while Freddie looked around for a dish towel.

"How was your day with the girls?" Freddie asked. Carly thought for a moment before answering.

"Interesting."

" 'Interesting?'" Freddie echoed. "How so? Did you get to talk to Sam?"

"Not really," Carly answered with a disappointed tone. "We kept getting interrupted."

"By who? Wesley?"

At the mention of Wesley's name, Carly's eye gave an involuntary twitch. She couldn't remember when she developed this little tick, but it seemed to happen whenever she was hiding something wanted to desperately talk about, or at the mention of someone she truly didn't like.

The slight eye spasm, though small, was not lost on Freddie. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and gestured towards her. "Your eye twitched."

"Huh-what? No, it didn't," she rambled. Freddie wasn't convinced.

"You know, I haven't seen you twitch like that in years, when I was dating Esther."

That name elicited another eye twitch, and Carly inwardly cursed her body for not allowing her to lie like a normal person. Freddie's eyes widened as he reached an epiphany.

"You hate Wesley!" he exclaimed. "I knew it! You hate Wesley!"

"SHHHH!" Carly hissed, afraid that his outburst could have been overheard by the remaining guests on the deck. Carly turned off the faucet and Freddie stepped closer so he could talk more freely at a lower decibel.

"You found out something, didn't you?" he interrogated. "He's a womanizer? A control freak? He's not cheating on her, is he?"

"No!" Carly replied. "At least I don't think he is. I don't know. Like I said, I didn't really get a chance to talk to Sam alone. The last time I tried was when I asked Sam if she wanted to take a ride in the canoe and Wesley ended up tagging along."

"Hmph," Freddie grunted. "Did he regale you with tales of his heroic Crew days or did he find some other way to stroke his own ego?"

Carly smirked. "No, he didn't quite do any of that. I mean, he wasn't overtly evil or anything, he was just kind of…condescending and yeah, a little controlling about her maid-of-honor dress - which he hadn't even seen yet! - and he was overly competitive in situations that didn't really call for it. I just don't get what Sam sees in him, really! She would have wedgie-bounced a guy like that in high school."

"You see?" Freddie urged. "That's what I've been saying! It's obvious he's a tool. I don't get why she keeps him around."

"I'm still trying to figure that out,. There has to be something."

Freddie considered this for a moment, then made eye contact with Carly. She noticed a mischievous glint in his eye.

"So the important point we should take away from this story," he reasoned seriously, "is that I was right."

"_Oh, great_," Carly though with a roll of her eyes. "Freddie, I don't know if that's the most important thing -"

"No, I beg to differ," Freddie interrupted. "I was right from the beginning." Freddie's hips slowly began to stir and a confident smirk spread across his face.

"Oh, no," Carly moaned. "Seriously, I'm not about to admit you were right so there's no need for the dance."

Freddie's slow gyrations turned into full-blown pelvic thrusts as his right fist balled, seemingly on its own accord.

"Sorry, sweetheart, this train has already pulled out of the station," Freddie advised her in almost a sing-song voice. He began to pump his fist in time with his thrusting while humming a nondescript, upbeat tune.

"Who was right! I WAS RIGHT!" Freddie chanted. "I was, I was, I was right!"

"I hate this," Carly stated simply, though her voice held an air of laughter. Carly may have dreaded having to endure his silly dance, but she wasn't about to deny how adorable he looked. Truth be told: the song was catchy.

"Freddie B. was oh-so right! Na na na na, I WAS RIGHT!"

"Okay, I get it!" Carly yelled over his singing.

Carly heard the faint click of the door opening just before Gibby appeared with plate of bare crust and an empty cup. Confused, Gibby nodded his head toward his dancing friend.

"Why's Freddie doing his 'I'm So Right' dance?"

* * *

><p>Carly awoke the next morning to the soft light of an early morning sunset. Groggy, she turned her head toward her fiancé, who was still dead to the world. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and lightly rubbed his arm, which was snugly wrapped around her waist. She quietly extracted herself from his grip, trying her hardest not to wake him up. Once she was sure Freddie was still asleep, she gently pushed herself off of the bed and walked toward the bathroom.<p>

Before she could enter the doorway, Carly heard something that sounded like two voices from downstairs. They were loud for just a brief moment, then they were gone in an instant. Curious, Carly slowly walked closer to the door and pressed her ear against it. The voices were low, yet animated. Carly opened the door and crept down the hallway to the top of the stair, slowly descending in order to make sure they didn't creak.

As she neared the final stretch of steps that lead to the landing, the voices became much clearer. Carly wanted to poke her head around the corner for a better view, but she didn't want to get caught eavesdropping. Besides, she was already aware of the owners of both voices.

"- know why you wouldn't want to jump on such an amazing opportunity, Samantha," Wesley hissed. Carly could tell he was struggling to keep his voice low, but would rather do so than wake up the rest of the house.

"Seriously, Wes, why do you care so much about this?" Sam countered. "It's just a stupid showcase."

"That 'stupid showcase' could catapult your career, with the proper networking and focus. This could make turn you into a principal dancer in one of the finest ballet companies in the country."

"Oh, really?" Sam pressed. "And what if that's not what I want?"

At this, Wesley laughed mirthlessly. "How could you not want this? What exactly do you have going for you right now? A lousy theme park show?"

"Hey, I work hard in that show and it may not be the best, but it's my own deal, alright?" Sam was not bothering to keep her voice in check.

"Lower your voice," Wesley commanded coolly. "Sam, let's get real here. You're not the best dancer there is. You're a pretty girl, obviously, but there are dancers out there - a ton of them - who are more talented, more stunning, and more knowledgeable of the craft than you are and they're going to beat you out of every opportunity there is if you don't have the drive to go for it! Honestly, what would you do without me?"

There was an intense silence before Sam answered.

"Look," she began, "I don't want to pick up my entire life and move to New York to dance, when I'm perfectly happy dancing in Florida -"

"You're not happy, you're complacent," Wesley swiftly interrupted.

"Who the hell are you to tell me how I feel?" Sam asked in an incredulous tone.

"A man who seems to know what's best for you better than you do! You're being an idiot, as usual, and for some reason I seem continue to waste my energy on you. Samantha, do you know why I chose you over the scores of women dying to be with me?"

Carly fought her repulsion and remained still on the step, though she was seething.

"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me," Sam deadpanned.

"I stay with you," Wesley continued, "because I see something special in you, even if you don't. You've got it, you've just got to stop being lazy and go for it. Don't make me regret choosing you."

Sam didn't answer right away and Wesley didn't wait for a response.

"I'm going to go for a run. We'll talk more when I get back."

After the sound of footsteps and the heavy click of the front door, Carly rushed down the remaining steps. She found Sam standing by the door in her pajamas. She turned to Carly, her expression unreadable.

"'Mornin' Carls," she greeted, trying to sound casual.

"Sam, what was that all about?" Carly demanded, unwilling to play along.

"What are you talking about? What was what about?"

"Sam, I heard everything!" Carly exclaimed. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?"

Sam groaned in frustration. "Carly, not right now, alright?"

"Okay, then when, Sam? When he breaks down your spirit entirely? When he cheats on you with someone more 'stunning' and more 'knowledgeable?' Come on, what's the deal? Why are you with him?"

"Look, you're making a huge deal out of all of this!" Sam bellowed, flailing her arms. "You're concerned for no reason!"

Carly stepped closer to the agitated blonde with wide eyes. "Of course, I'm concerned and trust me, I'm not the only one! You show up rail thin and totally zombie-like, allowing this jerk to control your life, and you haven't even threatened to hit the guy once! No duh, I'm concerned!"

Sam took a step forward. "This isn't concern, Carly! This is you butting your nose into someone else's business other than your own and believing that you know better than everyone else, as usual!"

Carly quirked her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm sure you know a lot about that, considering that your boyfriend butts in on your affairs all the time, it seems!"

"How dare you pass judgment when this is the most time you've spent with him in the YEARS that I've been with him!" Carly guessed that the house was awake by now, since neither of them were trying to keep their voice low. "Newsflash: Carly Shay's opinion is not the end-all, be-all when it comes to relationships. It took you over a decade to find your soul mate, even though he was right under your nose the entire time. Sorry, but maybe you aren't the most credible source for relationship advice."

Carly was outraged. "How _dare you _throw that in my face when all I'm doing is trying to help you?"

"Well, thank you _so much_, but you can keep your damn help and worry about your own relationship!"

With that, Sam stalked over to the key rack by the door, hastily grabbed a set of keys and stomped out of the house, slamming the door in her wake.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope everyone is doing well! And I want to extend a huge "THANK YOU" to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I wanted to reply personally to all of you, but time is making a fool of me, once again. Just know that I appreciate your kind words and I love you all for all the support you've been giving me!**

**I'm excited about the next few chapters of the story! Just be patient with me. I promise I'll get them out as soon as I can! **

**Don't be afraid to drop a line and keep those story suggestions coming! I still want to know which ones I should be reading!**

**Love you all and Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly, nor the Seattle Sounders.**

* * *

><p>All Carly felt during the first hour of Sam's absence was unmitigated anger. Sam's words continued to echo in her head as she attempted to burn off her boiling rage on the treadmill. She had hoped to work out through her irritation, but all she could think about were the different, colorful ways she could tell Sam off when she returned.<p>

During the second hour, Carly began to feel a mixture of anger regarding their argument and annoyance in the fact that she had not returned yet. She recounted the story for Gibby and Dallas when they returned from their run. As she divulged the focal points of her and Sam's argument, her annoyance turned into worry and she began to feel guilty about the lingering resentment she felt. As Dallas began to rattle off a list of highly profane names she vowed to call Wesley from that moment forward, Carly caught herself glancing out of the front window more than once, hoping to see Sam's rental car pull into the long driveway.

As they approached hour three of Sam's disappearance, Carly found herself pacing and twisting her hair into knots. She was worried. Actually, she was more than worried; she was _terrified _that she had practically pushed her friend out the door and into a town that she knew nothing about, leaving her entirely vulnerable and at a huge disadvantage. Now, more than anything, she wished Sam would walk through the door so she could hug her, choke her, apologize to her, and yell at her for walking out in the first place.

When 10:30 arrived without Sam's return, Gibby and Dallas decided to go into town and look for her while Taryn and Jax searched the neighborhood and the woods. Freddie and Spencer remained at the lodge with Carly. She was thankful that they had stayed with her instead of leaving her by herself with Wesley.

"She could be lost somewhere," Carly speculated, on the verge of tears. "Seriously, she could be anywhere and we have no clue where to look."

"And you can't call her?" Freddie asked gently as he rubbed her back.

Carly shook her head. "I told you, she just stormed out in her pajamas. She left everything here, including her phone, money, and driver's license."

"This is just one of Samantha's ill-conceived tantrums," Wesley explained with a shake of his head. "She'll be back within moments."

"Your girlfriend has been gone for three hours, Wesley," Freddie pointed out with a scowl. "Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"No, not really," Wesley answered with little hesitation. "Come on, she left everything here. There's no way she's not coming back!"

"But what if she _can't_ come back?" Carly exploded, lifting herself off of the couch and squaring her stance. "What if she got a flat and ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere? Or what if she's been abducted or worse? She knows nothing about this area, Wesley. Nothing."

"Carly, you've got to calm down," Wesley commanded firmly. "I'm sure she's fine. She's a big girl. She can take care of herself, certainly."

"You could be a little more sensitive, Wesley," Carly hissed.

"You could stand to be a little _less_ sensitive, Carly," Wesley countered. Carly was surprised to find that she was ready to go off on him entirely and it was Freddie that pulled her into the nearest room in efforts to calm her down. She always figured it would be the other way around.

"Baby, you have to remain calm, okay?" Freddie encouraged softly.

"I can't believe he's not even a little concerned about Sam's safety," Carly exclaimed as she paced back and forth across the room.

"Neither can I," Freddie agreed calmly, " but we need to focus on finding out whether or not Sam's safe. Once we know she's fine, then we can tear him a new one. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," she conceded with a small voice. Freddie stopped her pacing and wrapped her in his arms protectively. Moving some of her fringe out of the way, he kissed her forehead.

"I'm sure she's fine," Freddie assured her. "We may not have seen her in the past couple of days, but Tough Sam still lurks inside of her. I'm more afraid for the locals than for her, really."

Carly allowed a smile to play across her lips. Freddie always seemed to know just what to say to make her feel better. When both of them heard the heavy front door open. They both rushed out of the bedroom in hopes to find Sam standing there. Instead, they found Gibby and Dallas. Carly hoped that her disappointment hadn't shown on her face too much.

"We couldn't find her at any of the surrounding parks," Dallas sighed.

"We didn't have any luck at the diners or barbecue joints, neither," Gibby continued. "I figured she's be sitting in front of a pile of meat or something. That's usually what happens after she gets into a big fight."

"Well, hopefully, Taryn and Jax are able to locate her," Spencer wished aloud. They all sat in near silence for a few minutes until Dallas received a phone call from Taryn. After speaking to her for less than a minute, Dallas reported that they were unable to find her around the neighborhood, nor did they see her driving down the next residential area, which was about a mile away. Jax suggested that they searched the surrounding woods, in case Sam felt like finding a quiet place to think.

"That's it, I'm calling the cops," Carly said definitively and rose to her feet in order to fetch her phone. Gibby held out a hand to stop her.

"The cops aren't going to do anything," Gibby explained. "Technically, she won't be considered missing for another twenty hours!"

"I don't care, Gibby! I can't just sit here. I'm freaking out!"

"We all are, sweetie," Dallas said consolingly. "But the last thing we want to do is get ourselves riled -"

She was interrupted by the sound of Spencer's cellphone ringing furiously in his pocket. All five faces snapped to his direction as he rushed to answer the call.

"Hello?" he said tentatively. After a brief pause a wave of relief washed over his face. "Sam, where the hell are you? We're all worried sick!"

The group, including Wesley, collectively sighed and relaxed in their spots. Carly's heart soared knowing that her friend was okay.

Spencer ran a hand through his hair. "You're where?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Well, that's far…Well, I get that, I just wish you had brought your phone with you…so are you heading back?…Mmm-hmm…uh-huh…Okay, cool…I'll call off the search party then. Okay, see you soon." He barely had on opportunity to hand up the phone before he was assaulted with questions from all directions.

"Where is she?"

"Is she alright?"

"Is she coming back?"

"Guys, guys," he hollered over the barrage of questions. "Sam's fine. She just needed some time to herself, but she's heading back now."

"Where'd she go?" Gibby inquired.

"Augusta."

"Woah, woah! I have family in Augusta!" Dallas said in disbelief. "That's, like, almost three hours away! What the heck was she doing all the way out there?"

"I dunno, Dallas, but it's cool. She's on her way back now," Spencer insisted. "Can you call Taryn and Jax and tell them they can come back to the house? Anyone up for breakfast?"

"I'll help you out, Spence," Gibby volunteered, then followed Spencer into the kitchen. Dallas wandered off with her phone to call Taryn and Wesley announced that he need to "make a few business calls" as he walked towards the back door. Freddie turned to Carly.

"Do you want anything in particular for breakfast?" he asked.

Carly shook her head. "No, thanks. I think I'm going to head up to the room and wait for Sam to come back."

"That could take her a while," Freddie warned. "You heard Dallas. Sam's about three hours away. And you guys just had a major fight. You might not want to pounce on her the second she walks in the door."

"I don't pounce, Freddie Benson!" she denied indignantly as Freddie bit back a smile. "But there's no way we can just pretend like there's nothing for us to talk about. And it's only Sunday; I don't want this to ruin the rest of the week. I'd rather clear the air as soon as possible."

"I get that," Freddie nodded. "Do you want me there when you guys talk it out?"

"No, sweetie, I have a feeling that it'll be better for us to talk alone."

"You got it, boss," Freddie replied before leaning forward and placing a fleeting kiss on her lips. "I'll be in the gym if you need me, alright?"

Carly nodded in acknowledgement, then made her way up the steps to her room on the second floor. As she entered her room she decided to wait for Sam on the balcony. Spotting her opened bag in the corner, she rifled through it until she found her in-flight magazine, hoping that it would keep her entertained until Sam got back. Carly then opened the balcony door and took a seat in the nearest cushioned lounge chair.

"Sam's a faster driver than I am," Carly said to herself, which knew was an accomplishment, as she has been informed more than once of her own lead foot. "She'll probably get here before I know it."

She began flipping through the magazine, though her anticipation of Sam's arrival made it hard to focus on any of the articles. She felt herself settle deeper into the firm cushions as she tried to take her mind off of things. Fortunately, the brunette didn't have to fight to entertain herself for too long: between the warm sun, the late spring air, the comfortable lounge chair and the exhausting nature of that morning's events, Carly was asleep before she even realized she was tired.

* * *

><p><em>Tap tap tap.<em>

Unaware of the time and, for a brief moment, where she was, Carly awoke to the sound of someone tapping at the balcony door. She looked around franticly and wondered how much time had passed. Her magazine had long fallen on the ground and she could feel the tiniest bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth. As she frantically wiped it away with the back of her hand, she looked out over the driveway. Relieved, she immediately spotted Sam's rental next to her own.

_Tap tap tap._

Her attention snapped back at the door and she quickly reached behind her opened it for the visitor.

Standing there, sheepishly in her pajamas and fuzzy slippers, was Sam.

The blonde gave her friend a small, embarrassed wave before she mumbled, "Hey."

"Hey," Carly replied softly. The looked at each other for a moment before Sam pointed awkwardly at the lounger next to the occupied one.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Carly replied with a shrug. Sam stepped out onto the balcony and walked over to the chair identical to Carly's. She took a seat and immediately reclined back, but still looked uncomfortable. The air was quite tense, and Carly was still unsure as to whether or not she wanted to hug her friend for returning or to smack her for going AWOL in the first place. Carly fiddled with her cushion, waiting for Sam to initiate the conversation.

"Um, so," Sam began. She cleared her throat before she continued. "I may have said some stuff that, uh…y'know…was way off-base and more than jank and…uh, I probably shouldn't have ran off like I did…and I get that you were just concerned…I may have been a complete toadstool about the whole thing…y'know, you can jump in at any time here, cupcake!"

Carly giggled, which caused Sam to relax. With all the changes that have been happening, Carly was comforted to see that Sam's inability to apologize remained steadfast.

"It's cool, Sam," Carly said. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Cool," Sam said with a half smile.

"You know I was just worried about you, right? We all are," Carly said truthfully. "None of us are used to seeing you so…subdued, I guess? I don't know if that's the right word to use, but in any case, we're all just kind of at a loss."

"I know," Sam conceded, lowering her gaze to her lap.

"And then I hear Wesley talking to you the way he's talking to you and I don't know what scares me more: him talking to you this way or the fact that you're _allowing_ him to talk to you this way, like you're _used_ to him talking down to you. I don't get it, Sam, what is it? What's so special about him that he's able to treat you so grossly when anyone before him would have had their asses handed to them if they even looked at you the wrong way?"

Sam was silent at first, and Carly worried that she may have come on too strongly. She was about to apologize and end the conversation before Sam spoke up.

"It's a real long story, Carls," she warned.

"I've got nothing but time," Carly insisted.

Sam let out a long, drawling sigh. "I guess I just liked how he saw something in me that nobody else - well, aside from you, Freddie, Spence, and Gib - really did. Not even me. I've always been famous for my wrap sheet, you know? Sam Puckett: the violent, swearing, temper-driven, Fat Shake slurpin' Queen of Mean."

"I thought you loved that," Carly mused.

"I DID!" Sam cried. "I kind of still do, but…I don't know. There was a moment when I was just feeling kind of … uhh."

She trailed off and looked like she was queasy. "I was feeling…you know…that thing I think is disgusting, but you and thousands of therapists _insist_ that it's okay to let myself be…"

"Vulnerable?" Carly guessed.

"Yeah, _that_ shit," Sam confirmed with a grimace. Carly couldn't help but smile. "I was feeling…_vulnerable _and he just swooped in with his charm and maturity and treated me like a lady, something that I hadn't been made to feel like in a real long time."

Carly suddenly noticed a vulnerability in Sam that she hadn't seen since they were kids. It startled her and broke her heart all at once.

"Sam-"

"You remember that guy I told you about when you and Freddie came to Florida? Owen?"

It was a question that came seemingly out of nowhere, but Carly nodded instantly. Owen Blakely was boy who Sam met in college and, as far as Carly knew, the closest Sam came to being in love. Almost as soon as they both admitted feelings for one another, he moved to Las Vegas. Sam only ever talked about him once and Carly understood why: when Sam told the story, it looked like she was reliving the heartbreak all over again. Even the mere mention of him name caused Sam to look absolutely forlorn.

"When you and Freddie left," Sam continued, "I couldn't have been happier for you two. Sure, I gave you a hard time, but really…I was completely psyched that you guys had found love in each other. On the flip side, though, I started to think about Owen a lot more. Did you know that was the first time I had ever really talked about him?"

"Wow, Sam, really?" Carly said, her eyebrows raised.

"Yup, and I couldn't stop thinking about him the entire time you visited. You were there to distract me, but once you guys left I just got into this weird funk. One night I was just sitting around and sipping a beer in the house and the next thing I know, I was on SplashFace, totally going through his entire profile."

Carly gasped. "Oh, no. You SplashFace stalked him?"

"Yup," Sam confessed with a nod. "And I should have just went to bed or something. He had all these pictures of him and his band and aside from the ones of them performing, almost all of them had they guys surrounded by these model-looking skanks and it just made me more depressed. But what really sucked was that all of these women were just…gorgeous and girly with perfect legs and perfect smiles and I just felt totally off my game, you know? And suddenly he was just waaaaay out of my league, and I know how stupid that sounds now, but still."

"But Sam, how can you think he was out of your league when he told you that he cared about you?"

"I know, it's stupid! But that's just how I felt at the time," Sam explained. She started to sit up a little more in her seat. "Anyway, weeks pass and I can't shake the depression. Once the semester started, I threw myself into dancing. I'm sure I looked obsessed, but I just need to focus on something that wasn't Owen and I just needed to feel confident again, and the thing I'm least insecure about is my dancing.

"So I ended up in this showcase within the first couple weeks of school and I rocked it. A lot of the usual department patrons and big wigs were there, including Wesley and his uncle, a guy who has pumped a lot of dough into the school. Wesley waits for me after the show just so he can tell me how 'striking' and 'graceful' I was, two words I thought I'd never hear _anyone_ use to describe me. I took one look at him in his navy blue blazer and his Oxford shirt and immediate thought he was joking. Melanie is the one that attracts guys like that, not me, and normally I'd be just fine with that. At the time though, the attention and praise was just the confidence boost I needed.

"Then he started showing up to my classes with flowers and candy and girly crap like that, just to convince me to go on a date with him! I'm usually the aggressor, so I had to admit it was a nice change from the norm. Eventually, I gave in and let him take me out. We went on a couple dates to these amazing restaurants and just talked for hours." Sam paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, I should say _he_ would talk for hours and I would contribute every once in a while. He talked about law school, his dream of being a real estate attorney, how his family was full of successful lawyers and doctors and how wealthy his family was because of it. Now, usually I don't give a chizz about any of that stuff and, honestly, I didn't until he started talking about taking me to the Hamptons to show me off to his family. And he did, indeed, take me to the Hamptons, as well as a bunch of other fancy places, just to show how proud he was to have me on his arm. Again, Melanie has always been the one to attract this type of attention. Hell, according to Pam Puckett, that's how it's supposed to be: Melanie's supposed to run off with the princes and I'm destined to land myself a blue-collared man, just like she did a bunch of times. And while there's nothing wrong with that -"

"And there _isn't_," Carly emphasized.

"I know, it was just…it was nice to be the princess for once."

Carly felt an unexpected wave of guilt wash over her at Sam's admission. Carly had never had a problem with seeing Sam as a fellow woman; she just often found herself so caught up in Sam's whirlwind of strength and self-confidence that she tended to overlook the possibility of her ever wanting to be treated as a lady should. She couldn't remember a time during the entire course of their friendship when she suspected that Sam may want to have doors opened for her, to be taken on an extravagant date, or to simply have her chair pulled out for her at the dinner table. This oversight made Carly feel partially responsible for Sam's current state.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," Carly said in a tone just above a whisper.

" S'not your fault, Carls," Sam replied. "I guess I let myself get so swept away with the wining and dining that I blocked out all the other stuff, like how preoccupied he became with my career and my image, and his involvement with my dieting and workout routine - which I'm now beginning to find borderline psychotic - and I just refused to see a problem for the longest time. I knew that coming here was going to force me to face a lot of the issues I've been ignoring. Between you and Freddie I knew one of you wouldn't allow me to live in delusion for too much longer. That's why I may have seemed a little nervous when I first got here. It's like I could almost hear the time bomb ticking away in my head."

"Well," Carly said carefully, "maybe you should try talking to Wesley. You guys have been together for years. There's no reason why you can't tell him everything you've told me, right?"

Sam considered this for a moment before slowly nodding her head, though she didn't appear entirely convinced that talking would work.

"I can't really think of a reason not to at least try," Sam concluded.

Carly leaned forward in her chair and placed a gentle hand on Sam's knee. "Sam, it's completely possible to love yourself and Wesley at the same time. You don't have to choose one or the other."

An easy smile stretched across Sam's face. "You're absolutely right, Dr. Phil."

Carly slapped Sam's knee and the girls laughed together for, what felt like, the first time since they had arrived two days earlier.

After a few more minutes of talking the girls finally left the porch and went downstairs to join the rest of their friends. They went into the kitchen to find some lunch and were greeted by Dallas, Gibby, and Freddie.

"Ladies, I think we should all go out to a nice restaurant tonight," Dallas said excitedly. "I was just running the idea by the boys and they're for it. We can dress up and go somewhere really classy."

"Good deal," Sam agreed with a nod. Carly simply smiled at the thought of sharing a fancy meal with some of the people she loved most.

* * *

><p>Considering that they were in the middle of a very country town, the Tiramisu Factory was a very pleasant surprise to the entire group. The sophisticated atmosphere was the ideal setting for easygoing conversation and everyone appeared to be having a good time. Carly gently pushed her plate, which contained the scant remains of her Tuscan chicken pasta, away from her with a satisfied grin. Everyone had finished eating and were now sitting around the table, simply laughing and enjoying each other's company.<p>

"Alright, Carly and Freddie, let's talk kids," Dallas said excitedly as she toyed with the wrapper of her after-dinner mint. "How many and how soon? I wanna be Auntie Dallas, like, a year from now!"

"Wow, Dal, can we get through the wedding first?" Carly asked with great amusement.

"Oh, c'mon," Dallas groaned. "You guys have been similar to a married couple most of your lives! You can't tell me the subject of kids hasn't come up yet."

The soon-to-be-married couple shared a cautious glance before Freddie spoke up.

"Weeell," Freddie said, "I think we want to enjoy our time as newlyweds first before we decide to have kids."

"Good, 'cuz I don't feel like babysitting just yet," Spencer said jokingly. Gibby shook his head and chuckled lightly.

Carly turned to Freddie, apparently confused.

"Wait a sec," she said, "I though you said you wanted to have kids as soon as possible."

Freddie gave her a half smile and shrugged. "I know, but maybe we can wait a while. Be selfish with our free time for a while before we start filling the house with little ones."

Carly raised an eyebrow in brief surprised, then shrugged her own shoulders and dropped the topic. Freddie had been quite vocal about having kids as soon as possible. She wondered what caused such a sudden change of heart.

"Well, I think that's really smart," Taryn chimed in. "Jax and I can't seem to reach an agreement about the kids issue."

"Yeah," Jax supplied after taking a sip of his soda. "I would love for Taryn to start poppin' out little rugrats -"

"-and I am convinced that children ruin everything," Taryn interrupted. "My sister was so much fun before she had my niece and twin nephews. Now, she's like a zombie and everything she says and does revolves around her kids. Don't get me wrong, I love those kids to death, but seeing how much having them has changed Quinn, I don't know if I'm ready for all that. I've called her a 'mombie' on more than one occasion."

"Tar, you'd be such an awesome mom, though!" Dallas exclaimed. "You and Jax would be like the cool parents."

"Yeah, but we've got such a good thing going, just the two of us," Taryn explained while leaning her head against Jax's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around Taryn and smiled down at her, despite their differing viewpoints.

"She's worried that we'll be at each other's throats the minute we have children," Jax further divulged.

"Because we would be!" Taryn cried. "I just don't want us to be that domesticated yet."

"Well, Sam and I are going to start having kids the minute we're married," Wesley spoke up. He lifted his glass of brandy off the table. "Every Dillard woman has at least three children and we won't be any different."

Sam furrowed her eyebrows and snorted loudly. "Uh, sweetie? Aren't you skipping a couple steps, like letting _me_ know that I'm expected to turn into a baby factory? Or how about asking me to marry you in the first place?"

Wesley took a sip of his drink and simply smiled. "Well, that's obviously the path were heading down, sweetheart. No use in entertaining the possibility of an alternate ending for us, right?"

"Well, I want to have a crapload of kids," Gibby reveals, ignoring Wesley. "Like a football team's worth of kids. Mostly boys and one adorable, well-protected princess."

"Awww," Dallas gushed with a smile. "That's so cute! I bet you'd be a fun dad."

"Well, I appreciate that, Dallas," Gibby tipped his head and smiled.

Their bubbly server, a young woman with curly red hair, came to the table and began clearing some of the empty plates.

"Did anyone wish to look over our dessert menu?" she asked the group. "We've got pages and pages of amazing choices!"

Most of the table shook their heads at her offer, with the exception of Sam, who seemingly perked up at the word "dessert."

"I actually wanted to look at a couple-"

"We're quite alright, thank you," Wesley rushed to interrupt, politely smiling at the waitress. The gave a slight nod and walked away with half of the dirty dishes.

Spencer quirked an eyebrow and looked at Sam. "Uh, Wesley, I think Sam, here, may have wanted some dessert."

"Yes, Sam, here, did," Sam agreed, sounded as annoyed as she looked. "Wes, you don't have to speak for the both of us."

"Samantha, you need to cool it on the sweets," Wesley warned. "You'll want to keep your figure in check for the upcoming weeks."

"Sam looks just fine, Wes," Freddie piped in, barely able to contain the fury in his voice. "A little cake won't kill her."

"Maybe not, but it could kill her chances of winning over the casting directors at her upcoming audition in New York."

"Ooh, Sam! You never told us you had a big New York audition coming up!" Taryn said brightly.

"That's because I don't," Sam replied, though she kept her leering eyes trained on her boyfriend. "Wesley, you can't be talking about the audition you brought up this morning. I told you I wasn't going."

Wesley leaned in a little closer to a seething Sam and spoke to her in a low voice. "Look, I had no intention of embarrassing you in front of your friends by pointing out how wrong you were this morning. It was obvious that you weren't thinking clearly, so I took it upon myself to call April and set up an audition time for you in ten days."

"Wow," Gibby sighed into his cup of water before taking a sip. Carly nervously looked back and forth between Freddie and Wesley. Freddie looked as if he was ready to throw his empty glass at Wesley's head. Her own feelings weren't too far off from her partner's, but she knew in her heart that she had to let Sam handle this on her own. She placed her hand on Freddie's thigh and gave him a gentle warning squeeze. He looked at her wordlessly, though his eyes begged her to allow him the freedom to launch a pent up tirade on the controlling male. Carly simply shook her head discretely and waited for Freddie to signal his understanding. He rolled his eyes, but dutifully kept silent as he toyed with the rim of his glass.

Carly, much like the rest of the table, expected Wesley's admission to result in some sort of dinner table showdown between him and Sam, Instead, much to Carly's surprise, Sam's expression softened to that of understanding.

"Oh," Sam uttered lightly. "So…you took the liberty of speaking for me, as you so often do, and set up an audition behind my back? An audition, by the way, that I have no plans, whatsoever, to attend?"

Wesley blinked in shock at Sam's defiance, then quickly recovered so that none of his tablemates could see him off his guard. "Sam, I was looking out for your best interest-"

"Uh, excuse me, ma'am?" Sam called out to their server, who was suddenly walking behind Spencer to another table. The server stopped in her tracks and smiled widely to Sam, waiting for her to speak. Sam smiled serenely back. "Can I have that dessert menu, please?"

"You sure can!" the server assured her as she pulled out a dessert menu from the front of her apron and handed it to Sam. "Take your time and let me know if you'd like any suggestions!"

"Oh, I sure will," Sam said, a toothy grin spread across her face as she opened the menu and started casually leafing through the many pages.

Wesley's lips tightened until they formed a thin line. "Samantha, that's really not wise."

"Why not?" Sam asked innocently while continuing to look down at the menu. "There's no reason for me to not have anything fun."

"You have an audition-"

"No. I. Do. Not."

Sam's eyes were now fixed on Wesley in a challenging stare-down, unwavering. The tension at the table was so thick that Carly could have sworn that everyone was holding their breath, just as she was. It was the first time they had all witnessed Sam stand up against Wesley's controlling nature and everyone's expressions were a mixed bag of pride, curiosity, and anxiety as they awaited the forthcoming explosion. Instead, Sam simply smiled and returned her attention to the overwhelmingly varied dessert menu.

"Man, everything looks so amazing, I don't know what to pick. Hmmm," she stalled, dragging her eyes over the menu slowly, seemingly relishing in Wesley's building anger. "I just can't seem to choose between the chocolate hazelnut torte and coconut layer cake."

At that, the server returned to the table and asked Sam, "Did you find something you like?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to chose between your chocolate torte and the coconut cake."

"She'll have both," Freddie interjected. "And put them both on my bill."

Carly turned to Freddie, who was smirking deviously. Carly smiled proudly.

"Thanks, Freddie!" Sam said with a grateful grin.

Freddie returned the smile. "Anytime, Sam."

Carly was sure Freddie didn't miss Wesley's cold glare from across the table, and she was certain that he didn't care either way. Like her, he was just ecstatic to see a glimmer of the old Sam.

"See, Sam?" Carly said with a small smile. "You don't have to choose one or the other."

Carly hoped that Sam understood her meaning as she cryptically referred to their conversation earlier that day. She was happy to see Sam return the comment with a knowing smile.

"You may have been right, Carls," she agreed.

* * *

><p>They all returned to the cabin that night in high spirits, despite Wesley and Sam's intense exchange earlier that evening. Almost immediately after their arrival, the group went their separate ways and prepared for bed. Freddie was taking a shower while Carly changed into her pajamas. She decided to quickly check her e-mail for the first time since leaving Seattle. She grabbed her laptop and went out onto the balcony for a little privacy. Settling into the same wooden lounge chair she had napped in earlier that day, she flipped open her laptop and logged into her business e-mail account. She was happy to see that none of the e-mails were of high importance.<p>

"Not that there would have been much I could have done from out here," Carly muttered to herself. She was ready to close her laptop and return to the room when she noticed an e-mail from a familiar name.

"Chuck Ambrose?" Carly pondered aloud, hovering her mouse icon over the e-mail. Chuck Ambrose was the owner of Seattle's pro-league soccer team, a team that Carly has worked with numerous times throughout her work with the Promotions division at Qwest Field. She had shared a number of quick, cordial exchanges with the big wig (as well as one friendly chat with him and his wife at a Qwest Field gala), but has never worked with him directly. She wondered how he even got her e-mail address.

"_Well, I'm sure it wasn't _too_ hard_," she thought. "_But why would he want it?_"

Rather than waste anymore time thinking about it, she clicked on the message. She was shocked to see him greet her directly.

_Good afternoon, Carly Shay - _

_My name is Charles "Chuck" Ambrose, owner of the Seattle Sounders. We met briefly through a promotion you lead for our team, as well as last year's gala. Your events have made such a long-lasting impact on the success of our brand and I cannot thank you enough for being so generous with your creativity, time, and effort. You have an incredible work ethic and a charming attitude to match and, quite frankly, you have made quite an impression on me and my staff._

_It appears that the Sounders will need a new PR manager within the next month. I wanted to reach out to you personally before opening the position to the public. You have an exceptional ability to recognize "big picture" goals, as well as an incredible talent for communication. The Sounders could use your talents and this could be a position that would truly utilize your full potential._

_I'd like to set up a meeting with you and my PR team to discuss your long-term career goals and, more importantly, how we feel you could achieve those goals by joining our team. Rarely do we offer such an integral position to a person who has not previously expressed interest, but your works speaks highly of your abilities and my main concern, above all else, is making sure my brand is powered by a top-notch group of professionals. I see you amongst that group. I would like to meet with you to see if I'm right in assuming that your partnership with the Sounders would be a good fit._

_Please call my office and set up a time with my assistant. I hope to hear from you soon, Ms. Shay._

_Best Regards,_

_Charles "Chuck" Ambrose_

_Owner, CEO_

_Seattle Sounders_

Carly did not trust her eyes, nor her mind, to fully absorb the message after one read, so she read the message again three times before she noticed it as the biggest job offer she had ever received. To be offered a position as a Public Relations manager of a sports brand was a major deal that most would people in her field who kill for. It meant incredible networking opportunities, a chance to work within her field of study, and a chance to truly travel like she had always wanted when she was first starting her current job.

She slowly closed her laptop, but could not bring herself to move from her spot. Her life was suddenly thrown a curveball…a wonderful, other-worldly curveball, but a curveball nonetheless. She twisted her engagement ring absentmindedly as she realized that this job, should she choose to accept it, meant working more hours, much more traveling, and less time at home with Freddie, with whom she was exchanging vows in just five days. Could she fairly start her marriage off with such an extraordinary obstacle? More importantly, how would Freddie respond to the news if she did chose to take the job? Did she even _want_ the job?

Carly knew one thing: tonight was not the night to find any of this out. She would have to sleep on it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. **

**I just have to say that I love writing Sam's more vulnerable moments. We don't get to see them all that often (with the exception of the Seddie story arch on the show) and I always enjoy seeing her let her guard down, just the teeniest bit.**

**And thanks to all the readers who have put this story on their alerts! I appreciate you all following this!**

**Love you all! Leave a review, if you'd like! They make my day!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	9. Chapter 9

**This would be a great time to remind you that I don't own iCarly. Also, this story is rated T for language.**

* * *

><p>Freddie's sleepy eyes rapidly blinked open at the sound of a door closing loudly down the hallway. He blinked a few more times before turning his head towards the window. Though they were closed, he took the amber light peeking around the edges of the window curtains as an indicator of an early sunrise. He slowly turned his head and took his first glance at his sleeping fiancé, who was curled up against his side. Carly's eyebrows were gently furrowed and her lips were tensed in a thin line, which was an expression Freddie recognized from their college days whenever Carly went to bed worried about one thing or another. He hypothesized that it was something wedding-related and considered kissing her awake when his phone suddenly rang from its spot on the nightstand. The Galaxy Wars-themed ringtone caused Carly to grumble something indistinguishable and roll over as she grabbed the nearest pillow and jammed it over her head. Freddie grabbed the phone and rushed to the door leading to the balcony.<p>

"Hello?" he answered before looking at the caller ID.

"Hey, bro! It's Brad!" greeted the voice from the other end of the line.

"Brad!" Freddie hailed warmly. "Hey, man! How's it goin'?"

"I should be asking you that! You're the one walking down the isle in just four days! Excited?"

"Absolutely," Freddie said confidently. "The time's going by so quickly. I can't wait!"

"That's exactly how you should feel," Brad replied, his supportive smile translating through his voice. "I'm so happy for you guys. Really, man."

"Thanks a lot. Hey, what time do you think you and Isabelle are getting here on Wednesday?"

"Izzy and I are closing up the shop at two on Wednesday," Brad informed him, "and it's about a four-hour drive from Charlotte, so that should put us in your area around 6. We're going to check into the hotel before we get to the cabin."

"You know, you and Isabelle can always stay at the cabin," Freddie offered. "There's plenty of extra space, the cabin is gorgeous, and all the girls won't stop talking about how romantic the area is. It'll be a much more memorable getaway than some hotel."

There was a pause, then a sigh. "I don't know. We don't want to mooch off of you guys -"

"Stop," Freddie interrupted. "We'd love it if you guys stayed with us. Besides, Carly is really excited to spend time with Izzy."

"Yeah, Iz is really excited to see Carly, too," Brad said. "Alright, cool. We'll cancel the hotel reservation and stay with you guys. Thanks, Freddie, we appreciate it."

"Not a problem, Brad," Freddie replied with a smile. "Hey, I better see about breakfast, but call me when you guys are on your way, alright?"

"Will do. Later, bro."

"Later!"

Freddie hung up the phone and quietly opened the door, sneaking a peek in the bedroom. Carly was still asleep and taking up a considerable amount of room on the bed. He smiled at the sight and tiptoed into the bathroom in order to brush his teeth and wash his face. Afterward, he exited the room and went down the stairs, where he found Gibby waiting at the foot of the steps.

" Good morning, Gib," Freddie greeted.

"Right back atchya, Freddie," Gibby responded in a tone that Freddie found far too perky for seven in the morning.

"Wow, Gibby," he said laughingly. "Good night's rest?"

"Some of the best rest I've had in years," Gibby sighed. "This place is damn near magical."

At that, quick footsteps were heard coming down the stairs just before Dallas appeared in her jogging wear, her braids piled in a bun on top of her head.

"Morning, Freddie!" she smiled. "Morning, Gibby!"

"Good morning, Dallas," Freddie replied with a polite smile.

"Hey, Dal!" Gibby said with a wide smile. "Ready to head out?"

"Only if you're ready to be pushed up that hill! I'm not going easy on you this morning," she warned with a smirk.

"Wouldn't expect anything less," Gibby said challengingly. "Lead the way."

Dallas and Gibby headed towards the exit as Dallas look back over her shoulder and said, "We'll be back soon, Freddie!"

"Have fun!" Freddie said with a wave. He was glad that Gibby and Dallas had both found a partner dedicated enough to wake up early in the morning and exercise. Freddie, on the other hand, felt like he was useless without a cup of coffee. He made his way to the kitchen and was surprised to see Wesley already there in his track pants and sleeveless shirt, apparently waiting by the toaster. Freddie rolled his eyes and thought briefly about turning around and returning to his room. Before he could truly decide, Wesley turned around and spotted him. Though Wesley tried to politely nod his head, him grimace was still visible. Freddie could not bring himself to even pretend to be polite, so he headed straight towards the coffeemaker without even the simplest smile.

"Good morning to you, Freddie," Wesley said, breaking the tense silence.

"Morning, Wesley," Freddie replied blandly. He opened the overhead cupboard and searched for the filters and bag of coffee grounds, determined not to meet Wesley's eyes.

"Any plans for today?" Wesley asked, though he didn't sound very interested.

"Not yet," Freddie answered shortly, pulling a mug from the top shelf and setting it on the counter. As he did so, he could here Wesley chuckling lightly from behind him. The sound caused Freddie to unknowingly grind his teeth. He grabbed the filters and coffee and turned around to face Wesley squarely for the first time.

"Something funny?" he asked.

"You really don't like me, do you, Freddie?" Wesley asked, though he looked more amused than offended.

"Not in the slightest," Freddie answered without missing a beat. He solidified his point by crossing his arms over his chest. Wesley matched his stance and leaned back against the counter.

"I can't say that I'm surprised," Wesley said smugly. "And I'm willing to bet my entire inheritance that you've never liked me."

"What's your point, Wesley?" Freddie pressed, eager to leave with his coffee. The fact that they were finally addressing their issue after years of unacknowledged tension didn't do anything to increase his desire to remain in the kitchen.

Wesley shrugged. "I'm just curious, really. You've never really tried to see things from my perspective or even get to know me in the least."

"What's there to know?" Freddie asked, irritated. "You treat Sam like she's your child, you don't appreciate her at all, and it seems like you spend every waking moment trying to change her. That's really all I need to know right there, don't you think?"

"It must be easy for you and Carly to pass judgment on the relationships of others from up there on your shared pedestal, Freddie."

"Okay, first of all," Freddie began, taking a step towards Wesley's direction, "you'll keep my fiancé's name out your mouth. Let's keep this about you and me, got me?"

"Fair enough," Wesley agreed tersely.

"Secondly, it's more than just mere judgment. Sam, herself, doesn't even like the way you talk to her. I think she made that pretty obvious last night."

"Sam was acting like a child-"

"No, Sam was acting like a grown woman who didn't enjoy being told what to do."

Wesley narrowed his eyes at Freddie. "You know, someone looking in from the outside might think that you were in love with Sam yourself, especially after your little display of bravado last night at the restaurant."

Freddie smirked. "So, because I feel like Sam deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, then I must be in love with her, right? It must be that winning logic that's getting you through law school."

The look on Wesley's face gave Freddie the impression that he was beginning to irritate the blond. Freddie continued.

"Seriously, if that's all the evidence you have that points to me being in love with her, then you could say the same thing for all of us. Gibby, Spencer, Jax, the girls… we're all head-over-heels for her, if that's synonymous with wanting the best for her."

"And I want the best for her, too!" Wesley exclaimed. "That's why I push her so hard!"

"No, you want the best for yourself!" Freddie countered with a raised voice. "If you gave a shit about her, you'd let her be her own person!"

The silence that followed was the tensest moment of their discussion thus far. Freddie was unable to predict the direction this conversation was heading in: it could either end in heated blows or some sort of understanding. At the moment, Wesley's expression was unreadable. His expression remained unchanged as he cleared his throat.

"My goal in having this conversation with you was not to beg for your friendship or even your approval," Wesley informed him, coldly. "I just wanted to ask you politely to keep your damn nose out of our relationship, which I don't think is too much to ask, considering that you're getting married in just a few days."

"You honestly think I'm going to turn a blind eye to what you're doing to her just because you don't like it?" Freddie asked in disbelief.

"No, I KNOW you will or else -"

"Mornin', fellas," interrupted a cautious voice from Freddie's left. Both gentlemen turned to find Spencer standing there, sleep-disheveled and in crumpled flannel pajamas, his eyes trained on Wesley. "You guys talking about anything interesting?"

Freddie looked at Wesley, challenging him to continue their argument in front of another guest. Just as Freddie expected, Wesley opted to pretend as if the previous conversation never occurred.

"No, Spencer, nothing interesting, whatsoever," he answered with a small smile. "I better go start my run. I'll see you gentlemen later." Wesley walked between the two gentlemen and quickly exited the house, forgetting about the wheat bagel that popped from the toaster. Spencer kept his eyes on the door until he heard the door click shut.

"You know, Freddie, I could have sworn that you and Carly said you guys were eloping in order to _eliminate_ the drama from your wedding-"

"Spencer, you KNOW this isn't what I had in mind."

"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you," Spencer said laughingly. "Yeah, Wesley's sparkling personality isn't making things any easier."

"So, you finally see why I hate the guy?" Freddie asked hopefully as he emptied a small scoop of coffee grounds into the filter.

"Yeah, Wesley's a Grade A dick, obviously, but you can't let him get you worked up, alright? You've got more important matters to handle. Trust me, I would've said a few choice words to him myself if I wasn't certain it would ruin the occasion."

Freddie sighed. "You're right, Spence. I just hate seeing that guy's face day in and day out. This is supposed to be a vacation."

Spencer strolled over to the toaster and helped himself to Wesley's discarded bagel. "Well, if it's any consolation, it looks like Sam is starting to stand up for herself again. Maybe seeing so many people in her corner gave her some of her strength back."

The thought did ease Freddie a little bit. He gave a small smile at the memory of the previous night's dinner. "Yeah, you might be right about that one."

"Right, so you can focus on other, more pressing matters…you know…like telling your mom and our dad about your's and Carly's little eloping stunt."

Freddie felt a sudden blow to his gut at the thought of the task. He had completely forgotten about the small task of talking to his mother and Carly's father about them running off.

"Shit," he uttered just above a whisper.

"Honestly, I'm shocked your mom let you go this many days without talking to her," Spencer said in awe as he went to the refrigerator. "Hey, doesn't she have a tracking chip in you somewhere?"

Freddie shook his head. "Got it removed for my birthday a long time ago. Mom thought it would be a nice present."

Spencer turned away from the fridge with a tub of butter. "That's insane!" he laughed.

"That's Marissa Benson," Freddie shrugged.

"True chizz," Spencer conceded. "Anyway, you have to tell her, Freddie. She's a nut, but she's your mother and you know you want her to be there."

"I know, I'm just not ready to deal with her freaking out right now," Freddie sighed as he leaned forward against the island in the kitchen, covering his face with his hands and propping his head up with his elbows. "And I'm terrified to talk to Colonel Shay." Freddie paused and looked up at Spencer.

"Hey," he started slowly, "how about-"

"Noooope," Spencer interrupted loudly, ripping off a piece of the toasted bagel and scraping it against the butter, rather than buttering the bagel normally. "Not doin' it."

"C'mon-"

"I support this excursion of yours, but you guys are responsible for the backlash."

Freddie groaned and turned to the coffeemaker. "Fine. I better bring Carly some coffee and butter her up to the idea."

"Good idea," Spencer agreed through a mouthful of wheat bagel.

Freddie poured two cups of coffee, being extra careful to make Carly's with three sugars and a dash of milk, and headed up the stairs to his room. When he pushed open the door he found Carly sitting upright with her laptop open in her lap and her hair wild from slumber. He always thought Carly looked adorable first thing in the morning. Her eyes were so trained on the laptop screen that she failed to notice Freddie enter the room.

"Hey, beautiful," Freddie said softly.

Carly jolted out of surprise and snapped her head in Freddie's directions. She relaxed considerably once she saw him.

"Oh, hey, sweetie," she sighed as she closed her laptop. She set the computer on the floor and smiled gently at Freddie.

Freddie sat on the bed and handed her a cup of coffee, for which she thanked him and took a sip.

"What were you looking at?" Freddie asked, gesturing towards the laptop.

She shrugged. "Just some e-mails," she said dismissively. "So, what were you up to this morning?"

Freddie shook his head. "Nothing much. Just a showdown with Wesley-"

"WHAT?" Carly cried, almost choking on her coffee. "What do you mean 'showdown?' Did you hit him?"

"Nah, just puffed out chests and battling verbal machismo, you know, the usual. Also had a chat with Spencer."

"Oh. About what?"

Freddie took a prolonged sip of his coffee before continuing. "You know, wedding stuff…mainly how it may be time to tell our parents about us eloping."

Carly's eyes went wide and she rushed to set her coffee on the nightstand before she dropped it.

"Shit!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

"I know."

"I totally forgot!"

"Me, too."

She paused for a second, then looked at Freddie hopefully. "Maybe we can get Spencer-"

"Nope," Freddie interjected with a shake of his head. "Already tried that."

Carly groaned and flopped backwards on the bed. "Your mom's going to kill me."

"_My _mom?" Freddie repeated incredulously. "What about _your dad_? He's the one trained in aerial warfare by the _U.S. military _and I just snatched his daughter and flew her to the other side of the country for an impromptu wedding. I'm going to be dead by the weekend and I dare anyone to try and find my body."

He set his coffee down on the closest surface and joined Carly by laying down next to her.

"We knew we'd have to deal with it eventually, baby," he reasoned gently.

"I know. There's just been so much going on that I don't want to pile any more drama on top of it," she said, grabbing his hand and weaving her fingers in between his.

"I can understand that, but the sooner we get it out of the way, the better. We'll tell them together," he promised just before lifting their joined hands to his lips and placing feather light kisses on her knuckles.

Carly turned her head towards him and gave him a small smile. "Alright."

* * *

><p>The rest of the house gave Carly and Freddie the privacy they needed in order to speak to both parental figures in peace and quiet. After breakfast, the couple went back to their room and spoke to Mrs. Benson on speakerphone. The conversation went just as badly as Freddie expected. It started with the obligatory shouting ("You did WHAT?"), followed by repetitive denial ("No, you couldn't have. There's no way, Fredward. No, no, no, I don't believe that."), immediately followed by unreasonable demands ("YOU BREAK OFF THIS ENGAGEMENT AT ONCE! Fly back to Seattle and never leave my sight again!") and misplaced blame.<p>

"This is Carly's fault! I just know it!"

"Mom, stop it! It's not her fault, it was all my idea!"

"Well, why would you do such a thing?" Mrs. Benson wailed. "Why would you run off like this knowing that it would break my heart?"

Freddie began to pinch the bridge of his nose, hoping it would relieve the headache that was building. "Mom, you're being a little dramatic. We didn't run off to hurt you or anyone else! We just wanted to have the wedding that we wanted, that's all."

"Hmph," Mrs. Benson grunted. "I just knew I should have kept that chip in your head! Then maybe I would have known where you were days ago and put a stop to all this nonsense!"

Before Freddie could start arguing, Carly interjected calmly.

"Mrs. Benson, please," she pleaded, "we're not trying to be rebellious or disrespectful. We wanted to tell you so that you could make plans to meet us out here, if at all possible. We want you here to celebrate with us, we just didn't care to have the big spectacle, that's all. Freddie and I just want the most important people with us on our special day."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by a sniffle.

"So when is this wedding of yours?" she asked reluctantly.

"Friday, Mom," Freddie calmly explained. "The ceremony and reception are both being held at the cabin we're lodged at. I can fly you out here Thursday night and you'd arrive here just before dinner. You think you can make it?"

Freddie heard the distinct sound of his mother blowing her nose just before she blubbers, "Of course, I can make it! You're my only son and you're getting married, even if you were a Sneaky Samuel about the whole thing!"

Freddie turned to Carly and smiled. She returned the smile and mouthed "Sneaky Samuel?" which caused Freddie to stifle a laugh.

"Thanks, Mom. I love you!"

"I love you, too, sweetheart. I'll call you two tomorrow."

"Bye, Mrs. Benson!" Carly chirped.

"Goodbye, Carly," Mrs. Benson replied in a voice that could only be described as "politely cold."

Freddie would have loved for his mother to end the conversation with Carly in a warmer, more reassuring tone, but he knew that it would take her a while to get acclimated to the idea. Carly looked up at him with a pained expression, to which he responded by gently rubbing her back.

"That went really well, sweetie," he said.

Carly cringed. "She still hates me."

"She's never hated you, you know that," Freddie assured her as he sat on the bed, bringing her down with him until she sat on his lap. "We kind of just blindsided her with major news. Just give her some time to absorb everything."

Carly sighed. "You're right." She kissed his forehead, then pulled back and smiled at him. "Alright. Time to talk to Dad."

"Alright, sweetheart." Freddie patted her bottom as a signal for her to get up. "I'll leave you to it. Let me know how it goes."

Freddie attempted to stand, but Carly held onto his neck and remained seated on his lap.

"Oh, no," Carly laughed. "You're gonna sit right here and suffer just like I had to."

Carly tapped the screen of her phone with her thumb and pulled up her father's number.

"How mad do you think your dad's going to be?" Freddie asked tentatively.

"Dunno," Carly answered. "Dad's kind of a wild card."

Carly tapped the screen again so that they could both hear the line ringing over the speakerphone.

"Wild card. Awesome," Freddie muttered nervously.

The phone rang twice before Colonel Steven Shay picked up the phone.

"Is that my Carlotta?" he answered hopefully.

"Hey, Dad!" Carly squealed. Freddie loved hearing the excitement in Carly's voice whenever she talked to her dad. During their iCarly days, Carly's communication with her father was very limited. Carly had more opportunities to speak with her dad now that he was retired, but Freddie knew she still treasured every chance she had to speak to him.

"Hey, there, honey," Colonel Shay greeted. "How are you? How's everything coming along with the wedding?"

"Uuuuh," Carly stalled nervously. "Everything is great! Freddie is actually here with me! You're on speakerphone, by the way."

"Oh, am I now?" Carly's father asked, apparently amused. "Hello, Freddie!"

"Uh, hey, Mr. Shay!" Freddie replied, trying his best to mask his anxiety.

"Freddie, I don't know how many times I have to assure you that you can call me Steven. In just a few months, you'll be able to call me 'dad.' 'Mr. Shay' just sounds ridiculous now."

Freddie chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Steven, I forgot."

"Actually, Dad, we wanted to talk to you about the wedding. There's been some…changes."

Carly looked at Freddie as if she needed some sort of approval for her word choice. Freddie shrugged in response. He just wanted it to be over with.

"Is everything alright, sweetie?" Steven asked with genuine concern, which Carly was quick to relieve him of.

"Everything's great, dad!" she cried. "It just, um…well, we've changed the date of the wedding. I know we were supposed to get married in a few months, but we moved it to…Friday."

"Friday?" Steven repeated loudly. "I'm sorry, did you say 'Friday?'"

"Yeah, this Friday," Carly said slowly, "in Gainesville, Georgia."

The next sound Freddie heard was an unexpected one, as he had steeled himself to deal with the military man's justly wrath.

Instead, the sound that he heard from the other line was laughter. It was a laugh that came from the owner's very core. Freddie wasn't sure if he should laugh along or run away. The look that he saw on Carly's face made it clear that she was just as confused.

"Uh, Steven, is everything alright?" Freddie asked cautiously.

Carly's father reigned in his laughter, with seemingly great difficulty, to answer. "Oh, I'm fine, Fredward. I'm just fine."

"Dad, you don't think we're joking, do you?" Carly interjected.

"Oh, no. I know you're serious, Carlotta. Just remind me that I have a story to tell you when I get there."

"So…you're not upset?" Carly pressed with a confused smile.

"No, no, I'm not upset. I do have to talk to your grandfather, though. I'm not so sure he'd be able to travel that far. I will be there, though, sweetheart. You both have my word on that."

Freddie gave Carly a celebratory squeeze and kissed her shoulder. Carly smiled as she bit her bottom lip.

"We're so happy to hear that, Dad, thank you so much," Carly squealed.

"You bet. Look, I have to go. Send me an e-mail with all of the information and I'll call you tomorrow to confirm everything, alright?"

" 'Kay, Dad. Love you!"

"I love you, too," Steven said softly. "Talk to you soon, Freddie."

"Absolutely, Steven," Freddie replied with much more confidence than he had at the beginning of the conversation. "And thanks for being so understanding about all of this."

"You bet," Steven replied. "Bye, kids."

Carly hung up the phone and remained still. "Wow," she said numbly. "I can't believe how well that went."

"Yeah, we got lucky," Freddie agreed with a relieved sigh. "Well, at least _one_ of our parents is sane."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The last few chapters ended with drama. I decided to shift the drama to the beginning/middle, just to keep things interesting. Hope nobody minded!**

**Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter! I hope I responded to everyone who reviewed! If I didn't, please accept my sincerest apologies. Just know that I appreciate you immensely!**

**Love you guys! You all really do inspire me. I hope to get the next couple chapters out soon.**

**Review, if you'd like! I hope you all have an amazing weekend coming your way! I'm going to start mine by watching "Community" in about four minutes!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	10. Chapter 10

"_Freddie, baby, I have to tell you something."_

"_What is it, Carly?"_

"_Well…I was offered a PR position with the Seattle Sounders. I'm going to take it."_

_With that news, Freddie's face fell and his eyes grew darker. "Wow, Carly. I guess me being your husband doesn't grant me any opportunity to voice my opinion on this, huh?"_

"_Freddie, please-"_

"_So what does this mean, Carly?" Freddie pressed as his eyes grew even darker until they were pitch black orbs. His voice sounded frighteningly empty. "You get to gallivant around the world while I get left behind? Am I in the way of the life you always wanted?"_

_Carly tried to vocally deny Freddie's accusations, but her vocal chords felt frozen. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came of it. Suddenly, Freddie began to float backwards, away from Carly._

"_Well, you won't have to worry about me standing in your path. Go. I'll get the divorce papers to you one way or another."_

_Carly tried to let out a blood-curdling scream, but her voice remained stuck in her throat. She ran after Freddie, who had turned his back on her, but she wasn't able to get a grip of his shoulder. Freddie kept a steady pace as the scene changed from the cabin to the campus of Washington State University, then to Bushwell Plaza. When Carly finally caught up with him she gripped his shoulder and attempted to spin him around. To Carly's horror, Freddie's front was replaced with the back of him. Carly tried to spin him around again, but she was met, again, with his back. _

"_FREDDIE!" she mouthed, spinning him over and over and failing to get his front. All she wanted to do was look him in the eyes and tell him that she loved him, but all she got was the back of his head._

"_FREDDIE! PLEASE!" she mouthed desperately. Suddenly, The love of her life yanked himself away from her grip and floated away. Within seconds, he was joined by a faceless redhead who grabbed his hands and intertwined her fingers with his. They walked off together, ignoring the screams that had finally escaped from Carly's throat._

The shutting of a neighboring door and a creaky floor jarred Carly from her nightmare, which left her panting frantically and very shaken. She looked around wildly, just to make sure she was back where she was supposed to be, and was relieved to see Freddie still at her side, sleeping with his mouth wide open and gently snoring.

"I'm losin' it," she mumbled to herself, pushing the hair off her forehead. Carly exhaled slowly in an attempt to steady her breathing. She had spent the entirety of the previous day thinking about the job offer throughout their various wedding errands: getting their marriage license, ordering the food, her dress fitting, even while she worked on their play list. She wasn't any closer to figuring out whether she wanted the job or not, and she didn't want to worry Freddie about it during their wedding getaway. The longer she went without talking to him about it, however, the more nervous she got.

Going back to sleep was out of the question, so she eased her way out of bed and tip-toed to the door, allowing Freddie to continue his slumber. As she entered the hallway, she noticed Gibby, clad in pair of Spiderman pajama pants, preparing to descend the stairs.

"Gibby?" she whispered harshly, hoping to get his attention without potentially waking up the other guests. The bulky man turned around, eyes showing a brief moment of surprise before relaxing.

"Mornin' Carly!" he greeted.

Carly walked over to join Gibby down the steps. "What are you doing up here? I thought you were sleeping downstairs."

"My shower's on the fritz, so I thought about asking Spencer if I could use his, but decided against it."

"Oh," Carly replied. "Well, you can use ours, if you want!"

"Nah," Gibby said with a shake of his head. "I'm sure Freddie's still asleep and I tend to sing in the shower. Loudly."

"O-kaaay," Carly conceded cautiously. "That's certainly something I never knew about you!"

The pair of friends made their way to the kitchen and were greeted by Sam, who was pouring a large glass of orange juice.

"What are you doing up so early?" Carly inquired of the blonde.

"Eh, didn't rest all that well. Decided to start the day a little early." Though her voice sounded indifferent, traces of anxiety were etched across Sam's face.

"Everything alright, Sam?" Carly asked gently.

"Yeah, everything's cool. I just have a lot on my mind. No biggie."

Gibby opened the fridge and quickly pulled out a bottle of water before shutting it again, then he turned to Sam. "Wanna come running with Dallas and I?" he offered. "Running around here tends to clear my mind."

"Nah, but thanks, Gib," Sam declined politely.

Gibby shrugged. "Suit yourself, but you're welcome to come with us anytime. I better go get dressed." Gibby both girls a brief solute before disappearing from the kitchen. Carly returned her attention back to Sam.

"So, you feel like talking about whatever's on your mind?" Carly asked bluntly.

"No, not really," Sam shrugged. "I've done enough sharing on this trip to last me a lifetime. One more heart-to-heart and I may puke."

Carly smiled as she notice her friend slowly returning to something similar to her old self. "If you say so, Puckett."

"So what's on the agenda today?" Sam asked, seeming desperate to change the subject.

"Well, I really need to sit down and go over the details of the wedding-"

"Errrrrgh," Sam interrupted with a groan. "Carls, we told you not to waste another moment pouring over the details of your wedding. We've all got a handle on it."

"I know, I know," Carly sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "I just can't seem to turn it off. I'm such a worrier."

"Well, quit it. We've got you covered, trust me. Think of something else to busy yourself with. How about the honeymoon? Have you and Freddie talked about that at all?"

"We're just going to stay here an extra week after you all leave," Carly explained. "We plan on hiking in the back and starting a bonfire and canoeing…"

"So being a mushy married couple, basically," Sam said with a smile.

"Yes, being as mushy as possible," Carly confirmed with a giggle.

"Well, it looks like most of the bases are covered, then."

Carly raised an eyebrow curiously and repeated, "Most?"

"Most," Sam replied simply, then turned her back to Carly and opened the refrigerator without offering the slightest hint of what she meant. While she wanted to question her friend further, Carly could tell that Sam wasn't giving up any details anytime soon. Accepting defeat, she decided to move on.

"Fine," she sighed. "I won't concern myself with the details. I trust you guys."

"As you should," Sam said with her back still turned, though Carly could hear the slick undertone in her voice. "Now, let's have some fun today, shall we? It would be cool if us girls had a 'girls only' lunch somewhere. What do you think?"

"Sounds awesome!" Carly agreed cheerfully. The girls haven't had many opportunity's to hang out by themselves, aside from the shopping trip days earlier. She relished the idea of participating in girly chat with her close friends.

Sam turned from the fridge with an opened bag of grapes in her hand. "Yeah, I think an estrogen-only luncheon is definitely in order."

"Wow," Carly uttered dryly. "I never thought I'd hear the word "luncheon" come out of Sam Puckett's mouth…or 'estrogen,' for that matter."

Sam popped a plump grape in her mouth. "Yeah, it looks like Sam Puckett's been in the business of shocking people lately."

Carly gave Sam a sad smile before asking where Wesley was.

"He's still sleeping. I don't plan on waking him up anytime soon."

Carly couldn't help herself from digging a little deeper while they were still alone. Careful not to make Sam too uncomfortable, Carly chose her words carefully.

"So…are you and Wesley okay?"

Sam gave a short, dry chuckle. "I think we both know that Wesley and I are certainly not okay, Carls, but it's cute that you would ask."

Carly felt a mixture of mild embarrassment that she had been that transparent and relief that there wasn't a need to mince words with her longtime friends.

"_We've always been straight shooters with each other_," Carly thought. "_Maybe she's not as fragile as I thought_."

"So what are you going to do?"

It was a fairly broad question, but Sam seemed to understand the meaning behind it. She shrugged. "Not sure just yet."

The pair of women fell silent while Carly worked on getting her own cup of orange juice.

* * *

><p>As he searched around his and Carly's room for his silver basketball shorts Freddie heard the sounds of animated female voices quickly followed by a heavily shutting door, which he took as a sign that the girls had left for their lunch. The men (sans Wesley, who declined the invitation to join them before one was even extended) decided to go to the nearest park and play basketball. Freddie wasn't an exceptional player (in fact, he still wasn't terribly athletic, despite his much improved physique), but he was beginning to feel more restless as the wedding grew nearer and was happy for any excuse to get out of the house. As many times as all of the house guests have, at one point or another, assured him that everything was being handled, he couldn't help but worry about Carly and whether or not she would be given the wedding of her dreams. He had been serious when he told her that he would be just as content marrying her in an alley behind a takeout restaurant, but still wanted her to have a day that she could brag about to her friends years down the road. If she had even shown the slightest bit of regret for agreeing to elope he was certain that he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.<p>

"_No pressure, though_," Freddie thought to himself sarcastically as he located his missing shorts in one of the dresser drawers. He heard his phone vibrating on the nightstand just as he tossed the shorts on the bed. The phone was set to vibrate whenever he received a work-related e-mail.

"I'm going to kill them," he resolved aloud as he made his way to his phone. "What's the point of declaring that you're on vacation if they're just going to pester you, regardless?" He snatched up the phone and opened the e-mail with the intention of reading it, but decided, instead, to remind his company via e-mail that he was unavailable for the next week and a half. For the sake of saving time (and because it was so accessible), he went to Carly's computer.

"_Eh, she won't care_," he assured himself as he opened the laptop. He settled on the bed and tried immediately to start a new tab in her internet browser, but the computer wasn't responding to his clicks. Freddie groaned his annoyance and waited for the system to warm up. He noticed that her e-mail inbox was up, but had no interest in reading it.

He had no interest, that is, until his eyes caught the words "new PR manager" and, further down the page, "joining our team."

Though his mind was practically screaming at him to stop reading his soon-to-be-wife's personal e-mail, his curiosity overpowered any internal debates regarding morals or relationship ethics. He quickly scanned the e-mail, then processed the information. Carly had been offered a dream position with a nationally recognized sports team. This was absolutely perfect for her. His eyes urgently scanned for the date that the message was sent. It appeared that it was sent on Sunday.

"_How has she been keeping this a secret for two whole days?_" he thought incredulously. Freddie had a hard time imagining being offered the job opportunity of a lifetime and not shouting out the news from the top of his lungs.

Then his mind began to wander as he pondered the possible reasons as to why she's been so quiet about it. Did she already decline the job? He hastily dismissed that idea, as he knew that this was the offer she's been working towards since she graduated from college. Obviously the job would require a lot of travel. Maybe she's worried that getting married would keep her from really committing to it. Was she even _planning _on telling Freddie?

He suddenly felt sick. The last thing he wanted was to hold her back. At the same time, a little part of him couldn't help but feel the slightest bit selfish and wished that she would decline the job and just stay in Seattle.

"_That's so stupid_," he chastised internally. "_How could you even consider her casting her own happiness aside an option, Benson_?"

Freddie closed the laptop, forgetting his need to send his own e-mail, and laid back on the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed loudly as he rubbed his forehead, wishing more than anything that he had not read the e-mail. He prayed for ignorance that he knew wouldn't come, then lied still for what seemed like forever. He knew they'd eventually have to talk about it. He just hoped that she would bring it up before the wedding.

"How do I fix this?" he asked the empty room. Nobody answered, naturally, and he guessed that he wouldn't have gotten an answer to that question anyhow, even amongst a room full of people. This was something he had to figure out on his own.

* * *

><p>"I. Love. Mimosas!" Carly declared for a third time that afternoon. She was in the front seat of Sam's rental car, feeling more relaxed than she'd felt in a long time.<p>

"Uhhh, we know, Miss 'Keep 'Em Coming,'" Taryn teased from the backseat. Sam laughed as she drove the girls home after spending almost three hours at an adorable bistro-style restaurant nearly twenty minutes away from the cabin. They had an amazing time together just laughing and talking about everything under the sun, from work to sex, even reminiscing about high school and college. It had been a long time since Carly had hung out with just women (she chose not to count the one time she had chosen to go out with a group of female coworkers, since she spent most of the night looking after a very drunk Andrea, who had just broken up with a guy she had only been dating for three weeks) and she realized how much she missed having girls-only nights. She tried not to lament the fact that these opportunities would be few and far between once she got back to Seattle.

"Hey, I only had three and I didn't even finish the last one, thank you very much!" Carly defended indignantly.

"Well, I love it," Dallas chimed in. "It was so much fun hanging out with my girls!"

"Team Carly!" Sam cheered from the driver's seat.

"TEAM CARLY!" Taryn and Dallas echoed excitedly while Carly replied "TEAM ME!" with the same level of enthusiasm. The girls broke out into another fit of laughter as Sam pulled into the dirt road leading to the cabin's neighborhood.

"Hey, I wonder if the guys did anything fun," Taryn pondered.

Sam snorted. "I doubt Wesley did anything with the rest of the men, if they did. He's probably on his phone, chatting about boring law school business with his dad or something."

Carly didn't know if she should say anything in response, so she was thankful when Dallas spoke up instead.

"Have you talked to him at all about how you felt, Sammy P?"

"Eh, I've tried, but it's always ended up in an argument," Sam shrugged. "It's probably a discussion that's going to have to wait until we get home so we can really yell at each other."

"That sounds awful!" Taryn said, seemingly horrified.

"No, I think a good shouting match is just what they need," Dallas offered definitively. "Just get it all out in the open."

Carly silently agreed as she looked out the window. The surrounding area just before Poinsetta Way still looked incredibly creepy, but Carly had become used to the atmosphere. She even spotted a gorgeous deer in the distance.

"This place really is nice," Carly marveled aloud. "You know, once you get past all the creepy gross stuff."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting used to this place," Sam agreed. "Self-inflicted drama aside, this has been a nice escape."

"C'mon, Sam, don't blame yourself for everything," Dallas said consolingly.

"Well, maybe not everything, but a good amount of it," Sam replied as she turned onto Poinsetta Way. "I definitely have a lot to think about, but not right now."

"Good," Carly perked up. "This is a vacation. Just try to have a great time."

Sam looked at her and gave her a genuine smile before returning her eyes to the road ahead. "I'm starting to, Carls, for realsies."

Carly looked at the two backseat passengers through the rear view mirror and smiled at them. They returned the smile knowingly, seemingly just as happy to see Sam more relaxed than she had been in a while.

The car fell unto contented silence as Sam pulled into the long drive leading towards their vacation home. As the cabin came into view, Carly immediately noticed that the rental car belonging to her, Freddie, and Spencer was missing.

"Boys must be out," Carly guessed aloud. The car slowed as they neared the remaining vehicles.

"Hey, who's car is that?" Taryn asked. Carly, only being able to spot Jax's truck, was confused as to why Taryn couldn't identify her own car. She was about to teasingly ask her just how many mimosas she had when she noticed the car she had been referring to: a rusty, yet classic, Chevrolet the color of seafoam green was parked next to the truck, almost out of view completely if not for the winged back.

"Oh, no," Sam uttered breathlessly from Carly's left. She turned to friend and immediately noticed the color draining from her delicate face paired with the unmistakable expression of terror. "Oh, no no no no, this isn't good. No!"

"What is going on? Who is that, Sam?" Dallas asked frantically, matching Sam's sudden change in demeanor. Sam didn't answer as she drove the car around to the other side of the classic car. Just before parking Carly noticed that the car was still occupied. Once the car had stopped, she noticed a gentleman in the front seat with shoulder-length thick chestnut hair and an outstretched arm almost covered in tattoos. Though she was certain that she had never seen him before, there was still something familiar about him.

Sam barely turned off the engine before swinging the car door open and leaping out of the car. She slammed the door, which seemed to have jarred the gentleman out of a trance and caused him to look out the window in alarm. The first thing Carly registered was just how handsome he was. He had a very chiseled jaw line, which was speckled with light stubble, a short, pointed nose, sparkling green eyes and dark, thick eyebrows. With another look at his eyes, something clicked in Carly's head. She knew who he was.

With the slightest hint of hesitation, the man opened his door and exited the car, standing just next to his seat. Sam reached the passenger's side of the car, looking up at the man with wide eyes. Carly opened her door, but remained in her seat.

"Sam," the young man sighed almost reverently. His eyes looked upon her so softly that Carly's heart literally ached, even as a bystander.

"Owen," Sam replied commandingly, "what the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Long time no see! Thank you all so much for your reviews! Life has been quite busy lately, but I wanted everyone to know that I didn't forget about this story. Writing this chapter also made me realize that I need a new computer. Trust me. This has been a struggle.**

**Being able to post this chapter is a birthday present to myself! I feel like I finally accomplished something productive (actually, I've done a lot of productive things lately, just not as fun as this). Also, I realized that I never thanked you all for the 100+ reviews! I'm so grateful for you all!**

**I hope you're all doing well! Now back to writing. Review, if you wish. You know hearing from you all makes me smile! :o)**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: this story is rated T for adult language. In addition, I must stress that I do not own iCarly in any way (with the exception of a few original characters).**

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><p>Carly never knew that there could be a sound associated with dropping jaws until that very moment. It was a sound almost akin to popping a cork (or in this case, three corks), followed by absolute silence. She, Taryn, and Dallas shamelessly stared out the window at the unfathomable scene that was unfolding before them.<p>

Sam's eyes, frantic, yet unyielding, remained on the infamous Owen while he struggled to relax.

"I'm really sorry to just pop up like this, Sam," he began, his voice low as he unsuccessfully attempted to keep the conversation between the two of them.

"How the hell did you even find me?" Sam demanded.

Owen looked at her with an incredulous expression. "Seriously? Gainesville isn't a major town. I asked a lady at a gas station where I could find the nearest mansion-like cabin and she immediately knew what I was talking about. Surprisingly, there aren't that many palace-sized log cabins in the area. Go figure." He gave her a charming smirk as he ran a hand through his impressive locks. If Carly hadn't been so stunned by the sight of Sam's (unofficial) first love, she might have commented on just how gorgeous his hair was. Instead, she chose to finally close her mouth and remain perfectly silent so that she could continue to hear her friend's conversation.

"Stalking's not funny, Owen," Sam hissed. "You need to go!"

"Hey, I didn't exactly throw you out when you showed up at my bar the other day," Owen retaliated immediately. "I let you get out everything that you needed to let go of, can't you offer me the same courtesy?"

"What is there left to say?"

"A shitload, Sam!" Owen blurted out loudly. "You know there were things that we both left unsaid and I'm sorry, but I couldn't just stay at home and forget about it-"

"Yes, you could have!" Sam interrupted. "Seriously, I thought we had kind of wrapped everything up!"

The young man exhaled loudly and attempted to step closer to Sam, who took a step back as soon as she saw him approaching. The three occupants of the car allowed their gaze to follow the moving couple, but with every step backward they took it became harder and harder to hear what they were saying.

Dallas frantically slapped Taryn's thigh. "Bitch, open the window! We can't hear a thing!"

Taryn turned and hissed, "Right, let me just open the _power window _in a _turned off car _while the keys are dangling from Sam's hand…because I'm, apparently, Harry Potter." She paused, then added, unconvincingly, "Bitch!"

Dallas and Taryn looked at each other for a moment, then broke out into a brief giggle before Taryn shushed them and returned their attention to Sam and Owen. Carly took a good look at Owen. When you edited out the current arguing and wild looks, Owen and Sam looked like a much more compatible pair than Sam and Wesley. Owen seemed to fit the style that Sam used to be so into: a tight emerald green V-neck shirt, a closely-fitted pair of purple jeans, green-and-white checkered Vans slip-on sneakers, a slightly muscular arm covered in brightly-colored tattoos, and a subtle ear piercing. He wasn't the tallest guy, but his frame still towered over the petite blonde. Even with Sam in her flowery skirt, yellow cardigan, blue ballet flats, Carly was still able to imagine Owen with the funkier, more laid-back Sam. More importantly, the way he looked at her even as they argued, as if he ached to be nearer to her, spoke volumes of how much he cared for her. Carly couldn't recall a time when Wesley ever looked at Sam that way.

"Gosh, I wish we could hear what they were saying!" Taryn groaned in frustration.

As if on cue, a high pitched "JUST LEAVE!" cut through the silence.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? I CAN'T EVEN GET _FIVE MINUTES _OF YOUR TIME?"

"JUST. LEAVE," Sam shouted again with a finality that was recognized by all. The air was completely still for, as Carly determined, an uncomfortable length of time before the man strode angrily to his car and flung the door open, slamming his body into the vehicle just before slamming the door shut. Owen quickly turned on the ignition and wasted little time peeling out of his parking spot and speeding away from the cabin. The girls stared at Sam, who stood there with a blank expression as she gazed in the direction of the disappearing vehicle. Carly, Dallas, and Taryn remained absolutely still, waiting for some sign from their friend that she was ready to be approached. When she stood there for almost a minute without moving, Carly unbuckled her seatbelt in order to exit the car and comfort her friend. Her efforts were thwarted, however, when a suddenly determined Sam stomped to the car and swiftly entered it, slamming the door and turning on the ignition in a flash. Without warning she threw the car in reverse and sped down the driveway before any of the other girls had an opportunity to secure their seatbelts.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Carly screamed in surprise as she was thrown forward with great force. The jolt of the car gave her a nauseating reminder of just how many mimosas she had downed at lunch.

"SLOW DOWN!" Taryn and Dallas yelled in unison. Sam didn't appear to register anything that anyone was saying; she kept her blank stare forward and her hands appeared to be steering the wheel on their own accord. Carly could hear the clicking of seatbelts being secured in the backseat as she struggled with her own, trying very hard to trust her best friend not to kill or injure them in, what appeared to be, another classic escape.

"Sam?" she asked tentatively, unable to remove the nervousness from her voice. Sam kept silent, even as she called her name a little louder for a second and third time.

"SAM, snap out of it!" Dallas commanded, which seemed to effectively pull Sam out of her trance.

"Sorry, guys, I'm just-" she started.

"-making a run for the border?" Taryn interrupted.

"Don't tempt me," Sam replied tersely.

"Sam, you've got to tell us what this is about!" Carly pleaded. "More importantly, was that really Owen? How is that even possible?"

"And did he mention something about you being in his bar?" Dallas added. "What was that about?"

Sam kept silent for so long that Carly was beginning to think that she was in a trance again. Before she had a chance to call her name again, the blonde spoke.

"About a year ago Owen sent me a message on SplashFace," she began, her voice almost monotone. "He and a friend from Augusta moved to Georgia to open a music store and bar."

Suddenly, everything clicked for the other three girls. Taryn was the first one to speak.

"Is that were you disappeared to the other day?" she asked in a hushed tone. "When you were gone for hours?"

"I never replied to his message," Sam continued, ignoring her friend's inquiry. "I figured I could just ignore it and moved on. Things were going fine with me and Wes, so what was the point?" She sighed before continuing. "It was always gnawing at me, though, knowing he was so close and trying to reach out to me. Then the other day I just…snapped, I guess. I meant to go for a drive and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to Augusta before I could talk some sense into myself."

"Oh, my God," Carly gasped. "I can't believe…what did you say to him?"

Sam snorted. "So much that I can't even remember it all. I just stormed in while he was doing inventory and started to yell at him. I yelled at him for leaving, for never loving me, for killing any chance we had when he moved, just…everything. And he just stood there and looked at me like a fish out of water."

"Well, girly, you did kind of pop up out of the blue after not seeing him for years," Dallas reasoned calmly. "How'd you even know where his bar was, anyway?"

"I've Zaplooked it more than once," Sam admitted unabashedly. "C'mon, I'm human."

"So what happened after you yelled at him?" Taryn urged.

"Well," Sam continued, "after he got over the shock of seeing me, he came over and gave me the hugest hug I'd ever received, which is saying something, considering who my best friend is." There was a hint of a smile in her voice when she said that and Carly couldn't help but smile back. "Then I cried like an idiot. I don't know if I was happy or sad or what, but I just stood there and cried and he just held on. When I calmed down he sat me at the bar and made me some tea. After that, it was like word vomit. I vented about him, Wesley, life…I couldn't shut up. And you know what? He just listened. Didn't say a word as I spilled everything. When I finished the only thing he said was…"

The girls waited with baited breath as Sam trailed off into silence.

"What'd he say?" Carly pressed gently.

Sam blew a shaky breath and Carly could tell that she was fighting back tears.

"He just said, 'I missed the hell out of you.'"

Carly could feel her insides ache for her friend, and when she turned to the back of the car she saw that Dallas and Taryn were on the verge of gushing, as well.

"Oh, Sammy P," Dallas exhaled. "Did you tell him how much you missed him, too?"

Sam just shook her head. Carly looked around to try to figure out where they were, but nothing looked familiar. Though she was glad to see that she had slowed down, she hoped that Sam knew where she was going. "I thanked him for the tea and left before I could. I had so much pent up anger and resentment toward him and I was just happy to get it out. I thought that once I unloaded all of it I could finally move on and make everything work with Wesley. Everything was complicated enough, I didn't want to start feeling things for Owen again."

The car fell silent for a while. Carly wanted to point out how obvious it was that her feelings for Owen had, in fact, come back, but knew that the timing was beyond poor. Sam Puckett was the most delicate she had ever been in that moment and it was not the time to usher her into harsh reality. She had a feeling that the other two passengers were on the same page.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Taryn asked after a long silence.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked hoarsely.

Taryn shrugged. "I mean…shit, this is Owen we're talking about! Can you really just cast him aside like that? What if this is the time to make things work?"

"Taryn, I'm with Wesley," Sam replied, her voice a little elevated. "Owen and I are done. He should have never cropped up like that!"

"Sam," Dallas called gently.

"NO!" Sam yelled with a bang of her first on the steering wheel. She began to speed up a little, as well. "No, he should have NEVER shown up the way he did! Leaving that bar was supposed to mean closure! Who does he think he is, showing up and expecting us to rehash everything when I made it VERY CLEAR that we were never to talk or look each other up again! I can't handle this right now!"

The car fell completely silent with the exception of Sam's heavy, haggard breathing as she struggled to reign in her emotions. Based on the mere few occasions she had actually seen her cry, Carly knew the tears were close. She hadn't quite figured out how to comfort her friend during these rare occurrences because Sam would always hurriedly hide her tears before they could be addressed. Even now, she was working hard to steady her breathing and suppress her sniffling. It seemed like the only thing Carly could do, along with Dallas and Taryn, was sit silently and let Sam work through this by herself, no matter how many miles it took.

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><p>Freddie had no time at all to block the basketball that came hurling at his shoulders before it landed with a sharp thud. The contact seemed to have jolted him from the roaming daze he'd been lost in for the past few minutes. He grabbed his shoulder and looked around for the assailant.<p>

"Ouch! Sorry, bro!" Gibby apologized sheepishly. He then chuckled lightly. "You know, the trick is to move _away_ from the ball when it's sailing towards your face."

"Ha, ha, Gib," Freddie sarcastically responded over the good-natured laughter of Spencer and Jax.

"Aww, look on the bright side, Freddie," Jax said as his laughter died down. "At least you're not as bad as Spence."

At that moment, Spencer tried for the fourth time to launch the ball into the basket, only to miss the rim by a foot. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head resolutely.

"Gentlemen, you are witnessing firsthand why I am an artist."

Jax laughed a little louder as jogged to fetch the ball. Freddie gave a half-hearted smile as his eyes settled on a nearby picnic table. Deciding that he could use a little time off his feet, he walked over to the table and sat on the surface. His vision dropped down to his shoes and unknowingly remained there as his thoughts drifted to his discovery earlier that morning. Maybe he was allowing himself to get too concerned by the e-mail, he considered quietly. _'After all, there's a possibility that Carly neglected to mention it because she had no intentions of taking the job in the first place._' But then there was this nagging voice - this annoyingly accurate voice - in the far corner of his brain that took particular pleasure in reminding him that this was the job offer she'd been waiting for since they graduated from college, and that there was no way she wouldn't at least consider it. He could feel himself getting increasingly upset, but he was unaware of whether or not he was more upset with Carly, himself, or just the concept of awful timing, in general.

His train of thought was interrupted by the soft creaking of the bench as someone had taken a seat just to the right of his feet. He looked up just slightly to find Jax smirking at him, though still somehow maintaining a look of genuine concern.

"Not that a friendly, unorganized game of ball requires all that much concentration to begin with," Jax began, "but it becomes pretty obvious when someone is just plain out of it."

Freddie couldn't prevent the small smile escaping from the left corner of his mouth as he imagined how silly he must have looked, between failing to block some easy shots and getting hit by the ball multiple times. Thus, he didn't bother to refute Jax's observation in the slightest. He kept his eyes trained on his shoes.

"Do you and Taryn tell each other everything?" he asked in a low voice. Being that Jax was the only one who was married out of their group (not including Brad, who wasn't present at the time), it only seemed natural to seek out his advice. Freddie looked up to find Jax seemingly surprised and confused by the sudden question.

"Well, it depends on what you mean by 'everything.' I mean, does she need to know that I dip into our spare change jar every Friday morning while she's in the shower so that I can play video games at the arcade near my job during my lunch break? No, I don't think that's confession-worthy, but…"

"No, no, not that kind of stuff," Freddie clarified laughingly.

"Well, if you're talking about important stuff - feelings, fears, wins and losses - I mean, yeah, we pretty much tell each other everything." He thought for a moment, then he continued, "I guess that's one of the main reasons why I married her, because I felt like she was the only person in my life that I felt safe being one hundred percent open with."

Freddie felt his heart drop just slightly. He knew he felt that way about Carly - he had _always_ felt that way about her, even well before they had gotten together - but what if she hadn't felt that way about him? What if this offer was all it took for her to realize that she wasn't as comfortable with him as she had previously thought?

His concern must have manifested on his face, because Jax gave him a slight nudge.

"What's goin' on, buddy?" he asked carefully. "Are you hiding something from Carly?"

"Never," Freddie replied blankly.

"What, do you think she's hiding something from you?"

"No, - I mean, wh- uhh," he sputtered for a second, then sighed resignedly. "I don't know, man."

"Hmph," Jax grunted, then leaned forward on his knees while he thought for a second. "If it helps, Carly's never really struck me as 'the women with a million secrets,', know what I'm sayin'? In fact, I always imagined Carly as the kind of girl who, when she was little, would steal a cookie from the cookie jar, then immediately tell on herself because she felt so darn guilty."

Freddie laughed at what he considered to be the best description of Carly he had heard from anyone outside of himself, Sam, Spencer, and Gibby. "That's my girl, alright."

"So, if that's the case," Jax reasoned, "then I doubt that she's keeping something from you in order to purposely hurt you. If you ask her about it, I'm sure she'd be honest with you."

There was a brief silence before Freddie mumbled a half-hearted "maybe." The main question was: how was he going to be able to bring this up to Carly, basically admitting that he was (unintentionally) snooping on her laptop, and _not_ look like the bad guy?

"Is it at all possible that this weird, paranoid funk you're in has anything to do with cold feet?"

"No!" Freddie rushed to deny. "Everyone knows that I've wanted to marry Carly since we were kids. It's just…" He didn't know how to explain it to Jax without revealing too much. "Look, I trust her. I swear, I do. It's just that…maybe…"

"You're afraid that she doesn't trust you?"

"Exactly," Freddie sighed, grateful that his friend was able to put in words what he could not.

"Ah," Jax nodding sympathetically. "Well, I found early on that the best way to handle moments like that with Taryn wasn't to get pissed off, but to just remind her that I was one of the good guys that she _could_ trust. Whether it was out of relief or guilt, she would eventually end up opening up to me. Maybe you should do the same with Carly."

It seemed so clear to him now. Getting mad at her this close to the wedding simply wouldn't do. He would just talk to her and let her know that he was on her side, no matter what. Freddie was suddenly very happy he had gotten the chance to speak to Jax. There's no telling how he would have reacted, whether he would have clammed up or lashed out, had he not talked through his feelings first. Not only had he figured out his approach, he had realized just how good of a friend Jax had become.

"Thanks, Jax," Freddie said, clapping his back thankfully. "What you're saying makes a lot of sense."

"Hey, anytime, brother," Jax replied with a smile, standing to his feet. "We're some lucky fudgewads to have landed the women we've landed, so we better do all we can to keep it that way, right?" He extended his hand to a laughing Freddie, as he helped him off the table.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Freddie agreed. "Alright, I think I can focus now. Don't tell Gibby, but I do plan on nailing him with the ball a couple times. Payback, y'know?"

"I didn't hear a thing," Jax replied with a laugh as the two men made there way back on the court.

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><p>The girls pulled into the long driveway for a second time that day, about two hours after Sam's encounter with Owen. They had driven in absolute silence and the entire time Carly's texting finger positively itched to inform Freddie of everything that had happened, detail by detail. Each time, however, she had thought better of it and left her phone in her purse. She did seriously consider stealing Sam away from the group at some point and having a true heart-to-heart with her, along with Freddie, and really talking some sense into her, just the three of them. It was obvious to her that the main source of Sam's anger was confusion, like the confusion you feel when you're unexpectedly confronted by the only person with whom you've ever experience true love while positively trapped in a relationship with someone else. If she was in her shoes, she'd probably react the same way. Luckily, Carly was fortunate enough to be marrying that one person in a short matter of time. She was beginning to see that not everyone could be as lucky.<p>

Carly noticed that the men where still gone, which was disappointing because she really wanted to fill Freddie in on everything that had happened. Sam parked and the women immediately ambled out of the car. As Carly walked towards the house, she felt a hand on her shoulder holding her back. She turned around and was immediately confronted with Sam's pleading eyes.

"Listen, I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell Freddie about today," Sam said quietly. Carly looked at her with wide eyes.

"But, Sam -"

"I know, I know," Sam interrupted in exasperation, "You never keep things from Freddie and, more importantly, the three of us have always been open books with each other." At that, Carly felt a twinge of guilt, allowing her mind to briefly remind her of the e-mail that was currently burning a hole into her laptop screen. "I just…you know how Freddie is and the last thing he needs is one more thing to rile him up and get him started on the whole Wesley thing. I just need to figure all this out on my own, okay? For the time being, can you just promise me that you'll keep this between us? I'll clue him in when the time's right, whenever that is."

As much as it pained Carly to have to keep yet another secret from her fiancé, she knew that this was Sam's fight and Sam had every right to call the shots in the scenario.

"Okay," she agreed. "Okay, I won't say anything. But Sam, you've got to handle this, and soon."

"I know, Carls, I just…I think the best thing for me to do is just talk to Wesley. Lay it all out for him."

"Sounds good," Carly nodded. "Do you need my help?"

"No, you have a wedding to be excited about," Sam insisted, giving the brunette's upper arm a gentle squeeze. "You just focus on your stuff and I promise to work through all my crap, alright?"

Carly smiled and leaned forward to give Sam a sisterly hug. "Okay. You know we all love you, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the mush," Sam answered, though the smile in her voice was evident. The pair pulled away from each other and made their way to the house in silence.

Forty-five minutes passed before Carly's bedroom door opened, revealing a slightly sweaty Freddie. The couple smiled at each other, both looking relieved to see one another for the first time in hours.

"Hey, stranger," Carly greeted lovingly from the deck entrance, where she had been lounging with one of her magazines.

"Hey, baby," Freddie replied, walking towards her and kissing her soundly on the lips. Carly hadn't realized how much she missed his touch until that moment. She felt a little silly for feeling that way after being separated for only a couple hours, but she couldn't help it. Seeing Sam with Owen made her thankful for what she had with Freddie.

"Good day with the girls?" Freddie asked as they both sat on the bed.

"It was great!" Carly replied, keeping her memories of the day limited to just before they had arrive back to the cabin the first time. "I really miss having 'girl time.' How was your day with the boys? Was Wes with you?"

"No, Wesley was not with us," Freddie replied with a roll of his eyes, "and I'm sure that contributed to it being a somewhat decent day."

Carly laughed lightly while wishing more than ever that she was able to tell him about Sam's run-in with her ex. Instead, she opted to babble on about the "awesome mimosas" and the much-appreciated quality time with her girlfriends. Freddie touched on Spencer's abysmal basketball skills and their satisfying lunch at a local barbecue restaurant, which he insisted that they visit sometime before they leave. Carly simply nodded as she tried to come up with something else to talk about. She thought about the wedding, the honeymoon, the weather, politics - anything that couple possibly distract her from thinking about Sam's predicament or the job offer that she still had yet to talk to him about. As they both finished talking Carly felt the heavy air of unfinished business surrounding them, like there was a big, tap-dancing elephant in the room that neither of them were addressing. She could feel her paranoia kick into high gear and it was causing her imagine Freddie glancing at her laptop out of the corner of his eye more than once.

"So," he began carefully. "did anything else interesting happen today?"

The look he gave her screamed that he knew something that she didn't. Maybe her phone had accidentally called him during all the drama? Even more like, she's pretty sure she saw Taryn texting furiously in the backseat during Sam's breakdown drive. She was probably relaying the full blow-by-blow to Jax, who was broadcasting the info to the rest of the guys. With that, she was certain that Freddie knew what had happened and just wanted to get the story from a key witness's perspective. Why didn't he just ask about the confrontation outright instead of waiting for her to bring it up? She almost opened her mouth to talk about it, but remembered Sam's request to keep it between them. She closed her mouth, feeling equally as bad about almost betraying one friend's trust while keeping something so important from the other. She looked down in her lap and tried her best to shake her head inconspicuously.

"Nope," she answered simply, feeling awful about lying to Freddie. "Nothing major."

Freddie's gaze drilled into her, making her increasing nervous. "Are you absolutely sure?"

She opened her mouth to say that she was certain, but couldn't bring herself to verbally lie to him again. She had promised Sam she wouldn't say anything, but this was killing her. She was surprised to see Freddie's reaction, as if he were absolutely crestfallen.

"Alright, well I'm going to head downstairs and grab something to drink," he announced in a low voice. Standing up slowly, he made his way to the door. Carly didn't understand why he was reacting so hurt about her not discussing Sam's drama with him, but all she wanted to do was pull him to her and spill everything. She hated making him so upset, no matter what the circumstances were. Just before he exited through the door, he turned around and looked at her with soft eyes.

"Just remember," he started, sounded slightly defeated, "that I'm on your side. We're on the same team, Carly. I wouldn't have dragged you all the way out here to make you my wife if I wasn't on your side."

Carly was so taken aback by such a serious statement that she didn't quite know how to respond appropriately. "I know that, Freddie," she said, a little more defensively than necessary.

"Good," he responded simply before leaving and closing the door quickly behind him. The room felt absolutely still and Carly felt more confused than ever.

"What the hell was all that about?" she asked aloud to herself. Should she chase after him? Was this a fight? She had no clue where any of this was coming from. She suddenly wished that she hadn't gone anywhere today. If she had just stayed in the cabin, there would be nothing to talk about, nothing to hide. She groaned and threw herself back on the bed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. All she wanted was a stress-free wedding getaway. Now, all she wanted to do was _getaway_ from the getaway. She wished she could someone conjure a mimosa out of thin air.

With a great sigh she rose herself up and decided that she was going to implement the best distraction from anything remotely productive or important: the Internet. She brought herself closer to her laptop and folded her legs under her in efforts to get comfortable. Reaching for the machine, she immediately noticed that it was not securely shut.

"That's weird," she said to the empty room. She was usually pretty good about shutting her computer until it clicked. It was an odd compulsion that she had acquired in college when a roach crawled in between the screen and keyboard of her old computer freshman year, surprising her when she returned and reopened it hours later. Frightened, she took off her shoe and bashed the bug until she was certain it had been killed, screaming all the while and ruining her keyboard. Since then, she had always made sure the laptop was closed shut. Gingerly lifting the screen, she was happy to not find any six-legged surprises waiting for her. Once the screen lit up, she notice something else odd: the e-mail from the Chuck Ambrose had been scrolled all the way to the end. Carly knew for a fact that she had left the screen scrolled all the way to the top when she made sure to add his e-mail address to her list of contacts. It was the last thing she did before closing the computer, she was certain of it. Between the laptop being open and the screen not being where she had left it, she was certain that someone has came back and used her computer.

And she was certain that somebody was currently grabbing a drink downstairs and thoroughly upset with her.

There's no way he didn't see that e-mail, she had decided. Carly couldn't help but feel annoyed by the fact that Freddie had been rummaging through her computer, but that feeling was immediately replaced by the shame that came with being caught lying, followed by the embarrassment she felt for thinking that his reaction had anything to do with Sam. She leaned forward and let her head fall to her hands as she let out a strangled groan. This trip was slowly turning into a big mess, and she had to be the one to fix it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm sure many of you thought I had forgotten about this story and I'll be honest, for a while I wanted to. I had hit a mental road block, which led to me questioning my writing abilities and landed me into a bit of a self-pity party that lasted for three-and-a-half months. It's a slump that I'm sure everyone who attempts to write goes through and I'm happy to finally come to terms with it and to have located the energy to press on. I'm sorry to anyone who felt like they were left hanging. I think I just need a break to realize just how much I cared about these characters and about finishing this story. **_

_**In my absence, people still continued to read, favorite, and follow this story and for that, I can't express how grateful I am! You guys are wonderful! I hope that those of you who were reading before will come back and those of you who just started reading will stay tuned! **_

_**Again, thank you all so much. I missed you. :o)**_

_**Hollaatchyagirl,**_

_**Phunky**_


	12. Chapter 12

As Tuesday progressed, the tension from the day's drama blanketed the group so thickly that they all went their separate ways for the remainder of the day. There was an understanding that they would do something as a group the next day, but the evening was devoid of the usual level of humor as everyone wordlessly split into different directions: Sam disappeared into her room and waited for Wesley return from whatever he had managed to get into, Jax and Taryn went on a hike, Spencer locked himself in the off-limits room downstairs, Dallas announced that she had to call her Dad, Gibby had wandered off, and Freddie chose to sulk alone in the gym. For the first time since their arrival, Carly felt alone. She wished that she could resolve the current issue between her and Freddie, but she hadn't arrived to a viable enough solution. She felt overcome with anxiety and guilt, which worked together to eliminate her appetite. Feeling ready to end this day, she trekked upstairs with hopes of falling asleep early.

Sleep, however, proved to be elusive. Her eye's would close for only a few minutes at a time before reopening at the slightest sound. She hoped that Freddie would join her in bed sooner than later, despite the possibility of him being upset with her. Even if they didn't get the opportunity to hash everything out before falling asleep, Carly still yearned to retire in his arms, as she did every night. Hours passed before Freddie finally snuck into the bedroom, but Carly's hopes for loving contact were crushed when he eased into bed with his back towards her, making no attempt cuddle at her side or pull her into his embrace. Suddenly realize the extent of their underlying issues, she finally stopped fighting rest and fell asleep, determined not to spend another night like this.

Carly opened her eyes very slowly the next morning. It took her longer than usual to realize that Freddie was not by her side but when she did, she immediately awoke with a sense of purpose: she had to mend things with her fiancé. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and scanned the floor for her slippers. '_Just start the conversation_,' she advised herself. '_The solution isn't necessary right now_.' Once she located the slippers, she slid them on and headed for the kitchen where she was sure Freddie was beginning his day. Tip-toeing to avoid waking up the other guests, she crept down the stair and could already smell the aroma of strong coffee. Before she could turn the corner and see who was occupying the kitchen, she spotted Sam exiting her room and looking absolutely exhausted. Now she was torn between locating Freddie and being available for her friend who had, easily, sustained much more drama than she, herself, had. Carly decided to quickly check in with Sam before setting out to make-up with her other childhood friend.

"Hey, Sam," Carly greeted pleasantly. "Sleep well?"

"Hey, Carlotta," Sam replied with much less enthusiasm. "Actually, I'm running on about an hour and a half of shut-eye. Yup, you're looking at a champ," she finished with a smirk.

"An _hour and a half_?" Carly asked, incredulously. "Did you spend the entire night talking to Wesley.?"

"Mm hm," Sam hummed with a faltering smile.

Carly waited for her to elaborate and when she didn't, she urged with a loud, "AND?"

Sam let out a strained breath before sharing. "Welp, uhh, it went on for a while and I didn't get nearly enough sleep, so there's a lot of semi blacked-out moments. But the main gist I got from our conversation, and I hope you don't mind me paraphrasing, is that I'm hallucinating about 90% of the problems and the other 10% that actually exist are entirely my doing, but he was nice enough to consider my, uh, 'destructive upbringing' and the 'cloud of delusion' that I've let my friends build around me as contributors to my inability to recognize my faults. I guess I've just been too blinded by my friends' functioning relationships and I'm forgetting such how amazing of a boyfriend Wesley actually is."

Carly's face twisted into an expression that was combination of shock and disgust. "Sam, you can't be serious."

"As a heart attack, cupcake."

" 'kay…" Carly mumbled as she tried to understand how Sam could remain so serene. "So, how did you respond?"

Sam was quiet for a moment, as if she were trying to remember the moment, then she answered, "He has taught me so much about myself and life that I honestly owe him a lot. Wes's made me realize that I need to make smarter choices, like my diet -"

"Sam, what else could he **possibly** have to say about what you eat? You're wasting away!" Carly interrupted with an urgency that almost caused her to grab her friend by the shoulders and shake her.

"And my career," Sam continued, as if not to notice Carly's outburst in the slightest. "I _have_ to start taking control of my career. I have to start having the drive, look, and dignity of a Dillard woman because that's my future, Carls. And without Wesley, I would have forgotten all of that."

It was like she had been possessed, Carly decided. This wasn't Sam. This was a brainwashed, lost soul in a Sam shell, and she feared that she had lost the real Sam for good. She had so many questions, but she couldn't bring herself to talk.

"I think the best way to show him how much I appreciate him - all of you, really - is by cooking everyone dinner. Tonight. There's a lot that I have to do beforehand, though, so I won't be able to come on the fishing trip today."

"Don't cook tonight," Carly insisted. She felt like this problem was so much bigger than her and there was no way she was going to be able to talk sense into Sam on her own. However, she felt like leaving Sam alone was also a bad idea. The best option was to keep her around her friends, people who truly loved her, and possibly sneak in a intervention with the rest of the girls. "Look, Brad and Issy are coming in tonight and I don't want you barricaded in the kitchen. Just come fishing with us. You can make dinner tomorrow, I promise!"

"I don't want the responsibility of cooking your _rehearsal dinner_," Sam whined. "No, it has to be tonight. I'm going to see if I can get another hour or two of sleep and then I'm going to head out and get ready for tonight. Have fun!"

She gave Carly a quick hug before heading in the direction of the bathroom, leaving Carly on her own to absorb the last four minutes. She felt utterly useless.

"I would have been better off just looking for Freddie," she sighed. At the mention of his name, she remembered her other task and rushed to the kitchen, hoping to find him. Instead, she found Spencer.

"She wasn't serious, was she?" Spencer asked with a flabbergasted expression. Then he remembered his manners. "Oh, and good morning."

"Good morning to you, too," she replied wryly, "and she seemed pretty serious to me. Dammit, Spencer, I don't know what to do."

"The only thing left to do is just have a good, old-fashioned intervention," he suggested.

"I thought of that, but with just the girls. I don't want her to feel totally ganged up on."

"Maybe all of us sitting with her will stress the severity of it a little bit…"

Carly thought about it, but still didn't feel comfortable with the idea. "I don't know, Spence. We need to be careful. She's, like, beyond fragile at this point."

" 'Fragile' is putting it lightly," he scoffed, grabbing his mug of coffee. "Sam Puckett is broken if she truly thought that anything that dick said is true. But hey, you're the Sam expert, so what you say goes. I suggest that you let Freddie talk with her, as well. A sensible male perspective wouldn't hurt."

"Speaking of Freddie, have you seen him around this morning?" Carly asked hopefully.

"Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw him go running with Gibster and Dallas."

"Weird," Carly said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "He doesn't run."

Her brother shrugged. "I guess he's a runner today."

Carly left the kitchen, disappointed and slightly more stressed. The wedding was only two days away and there was still so much left to do, but there was no way she could allow herself to get swept away by the excitement of it all until things were officially back to normal with two of the most important people in her life.

Before leaving the house, Carly had extended an invitation to Wesley to join them on their fishing trip, just out of habitual manners. To her relief, Wesley declined the invite in order to pick up his attire for the wedding.

"I don't seem to have anything appropriate for an outdoor wedding," Wesley explained. "And I still find it important to look my absolutely best, no matter how…quaint…the company." He finished with a painfully polite smile.

In that moment, Carly wished he had agreed to go on the boating trip, if only for the chance to throw him overboard.

* * *

><p>"Okay. I hate fishing. It's official."<p>

"Stop complaining, babe," Jax commanded with a chuckle. "It's not that bad!"

"We've been out here for hours and I've caught nothing!"

"Because your hollerin' is scaring the fish away!"

The group laughed as Jax and Taryn continued to bicker. Carly couldn't say that she thought she'd ever get the urge to fish in the future, but the trip with her friends had been a lot of fun. Spencer and Gibby rented a fairly large fishing boat for a couple of hours at a dock less than an hour away from the cabin. The men, who had been much more excited about the trip from the start, had managed to separate themselves from the girls, who were doing a fair amount of whining. Dallas was the only girl close to enjoying herself, thanks to the special fishing trips she would take with her father. "We would get so excited whenever I caught anything," she reminisced. "Then I'd feel guilty and throw it back almost immediately." The girls laughed as they tried to patiently dangle their bait in the endless water, but boredom and frustration with the sport eventually drove all the girls to the bottom deck of the boat where the cooler was located. Each of the girls grabbed a beverage and picked a spot on the wraparound bench that trimmed the entire deck.

"It's kind of weird without Sam here," Taryn pointed out. "So, what exactly did she say? Something about staying behind to make dinner?"

Carly sighed and recounted her conversation with Sam earlier that morning, almost word for word. With each detail, the other two girls grew more and more agitated.

"_Can we kill him_?" Dallas asked, outraged. "Seriously, why are we still dealing with his bull?"

"_We're_ not the one's dealing with it," Taryn corrected with a frustrated groan. "_Sam_ is and it makes no effing sense! Ladies, we've got to step in!"

"That's what I thought!" Carly squealed. "We can't just sit back anymore. This has gotten beyond serious."

"What did Freddie say about all of this?" Dallas asked curiously. Carly closed her eyes almost in efforts to mask her mounting frustration and took a slow sip of her diet cola. Carly didn't get the moment alone with Freddie that she so desperately needed before leaving for the trip. He returned the to the cabin from his run and jumped in the shower almost immediately, offering Carly only a polite "good morning" and a quick kiss on the cheek before making himself unavailable again. She wondered briefly if Spencer had told him about the conversation between her and Sam, but that curiosity was quickly replaced with a desire to fix her own relationship. She just wished that she could talk to Freddie, no matter the topic. As he surrounded himself with the other men, he was making it even harder for her to steal him away for a long overdue chat.

"I haven't talked to him about it yet," Carly answered in a deceivingly casual tone. "But maybe we should just keep this between us girls."

"I don't know," Taryn said, seemingly mulling over the girls-only approach. "We may be past subtlety. A good ol' fashioned group pouncing might be what she needs."

"Group pouncing?" Dallas repeated scandalously. "No, that sounds terrible. I'm with Carly. She can't feel like everyone's against her or else we're just serving Sam to Wes on a silver platter."

Carly drained her can of soda then replied, "Well, whatever we decide to do, we've got to act fast. As dramatic as it sounds, she seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into his clutches with every passing day."

There was a pause before Dallas and Taryn started laughing boisterously. After a second, Carly joined in on the good-natured laughter.

"Y-yes, that was pretty dramatic," Dallas admitted through her laughter. "True, but dramatic."

* * *

><p>The girls, tired from the day's excursion, rode back to the cabin in silence. As Carly drove, the anxiety that she had experienced from the past day gave way to a newfound determination: she was determined to repair the recent rift between her and Freddie, get her firecracker of a best friend back, and enjoy herself for the remainder of the time so that she could focus on more exciting things, like the arrivals of her Brad, Isabelle, and most importantly, her father. "<em>All will be back to normal by tonight<em>," Carly thought definitively, "_even if that means no sleep for any of us." _With that, Carly applied a little more pressure to the gas pedal, ready to arrive at the cabin and get to work. In the back of her mind, she hoped that the men were able to keep up with her.

As the cabin came into view, Carly was relieved to see that Gibby's car, which Sam borrowed for the day, was parked safely in front while Sam and Wesley's rental car was gone. A chance alone with Sam was just what she needed. Without Wesley there to influence her, she and the other girls had a real chance to talk some sense into her. After successfully parking, Carly exited the car and her eyes immediately linked with Dallas's, then with Taryn's. Without discussion, all three woman set a determined pace for the entrance as Carly vaguely noted the sound of the men parking the car behind them. Marching towards the house, none of the girls knew what there approach would be. They just knew they had little time to spare. None of them were prepared for what met them as soon as they opened the front door.

Before taking one step into the house, they were assaulted with the overwhelming aroma of bacon.

One of the many privileges of being Sam's friend for so long was learning how to identify the quality of meat, especially bacon, simply by the smell. Carly's nose immediately registered that this was high quality bacon, the kind that Sam favored. The perplexed women looked at each other with hopes that one of them would know what was going on. When it was clear that all of them were sufficiently confused, Carly called for their friend.

"Sam?" she called timidly. When there wasn't an immediate answer, they made their way towards the kitchen. Nearing closer, Carly called Sam's name again just before noticing that the door leading to the deck was ajar. They headed straight for the door and opened it to reveal an oversized picnic table bogged down with a feast…a feast of meat.

There were two large plates piled high with thickly sliced bacon, which flanked a rack of sirloin steaks. At one side of the table was a rubber container of chicken, both fried and barbecue. On the other side were two smaller plates of bacon (both significantly thinner and less greasy than the larger plates) and a tray of pork chops. The sight of all this meat would, under normal circumstance, make Carly's stomach churn. However, the she was more focused on the sight of her friend, who's back was turned to the girls at the moment.

Sam's hair cascaded down her back in big, carefree curls, reminiscent of their younger days. Underneath her hair appeared to be a bright blue hooded jacket, paired with long blue, pink, and khaki plaid shorts. The clothes looked new, but Carly recognized the faded, high top Converse sneakers from her visit to Florida years ago. Had it not been for her much slimmer frame, she could have easily been mistaken for sixteen-year-old Sam, long before the stresses of her current relationship took their toll. For Carly, it was like seeing a special friend for the first time in years.

Before anyone could say anything, Sam straightened up. "Your feast awaits, sweethe- oh. Damn, I thought you were Wes," she groaned as she turned and realized that the newcomers had not been her boyfriend. After a beat her face brightened. "Actually, this is good. I think I can come up with a much more kickass opening line than that."

"Sam, what is all this?" Dallas blurted while Taryn's mouth simply remained hung open. "Is this why you stayed behind?" At that, the front door opened and was quickly followed by an exclamation of "WHERE DA BACON AT?" from Gibby. Carly kept her focus on her blonde friend. Now that Sam was facing them, Carly noticed a design on the front of the hoodie, which was a shiny silver screen print of a pair of large headphones, made to look like they were hanging around her neck. It was just the cool, laid back attire that had been recently replaced with dresses and cardigans. She had missed it so much.

"What's the deal, Sam?" Carly finally asked just as they were joined by the men. "I thought you were, uuuh, watching what you were eating?"

Sam simply smiled. "It was getting pretty old."

"Ho-ly crap," Spencer gasped as the men gathered behind the women to take in the sight. "This is what I always imagined Heaven would look like."

"Sam?" Freddie called out tentatively. Carly turned around at the sound of his voice. His eyebrows were furrowed curiously, as if he were approaching an insane person. "Everything alright?"

"Never better, Nubby McDorkelson," she replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Instead of getting offended, Freddie smiled warmly. "Welcome back."

At that moment, the front door opened once again. "Hello?" rang Wesley's voice. The group instinctively parted for Wesley to take notice of the spread on the picnic table as he approached the kitchen. Without acknowledging a single person he slowly walked through narrow path created by his housemates and stood before the plethora of meat. He struggled to hide the confusion that he dared not show (out of fear that he would appear foolish) as he was rendered temporarily speechless.

Everyone stood in complete silence as they anticipated Sam's first biting remarks. She appeared to have great difficulty choosing the right words and after a minute, she finally gave up with a groan and a roll of her eyes.

"Man, Wes, you should have got here, like, five minutes ago! The opening line I had was pretty sweet. Ugh! Moment ruined."

"Sam, tell me what's going on this instant," Wesley demanded in a low, cold tone. Carly would have expected the receiver of such a tone to look a little unnerved, but Sam remained calm and returned the inquiry with a pitying smile.

"Whatever do you mean? I'm sure I mentioned that I would be cooking dinner tonight. Multiple times, even-"

"You know damn well that this is no kind of dinner," Wesley interrupted with an elevated tone. "This," he indicated with a hasty wave of his hand towards the table, "is a dramatic cry for help!"

"Ooooh, I get it," Sam cooed with a look of comprehension. "You don't think this is balanced enough, but I really did make sure to keep everyone in mind! I made bacon and for those of us who understand the meaning of good food, steaks for the men-"

"YEAH, BUDDY," Jax cheered. He acknowledged a raised hand from Gibby and slapped it in a high five.

"Turkey bacon for those of us soon-to be-married folk who are watching figures," Sam continued, winking animatedly at Carly and Freddie.

"Thanks, Sam," Carly piped in sweetly.

"Much obliged," Freddie added with a smirk and a tip of his imaginary hat.

"I even made that fake crap the vegetarians go nuts about!"

"Behind that judge-y remark was a kind gesture," Dallas observed with a raise of her finger and both of her eyebrows, "so I thank you, nonetheless."

Sam turned again to Wesley and shrugged her shoulders with a satisfied grin. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I know just how much eating healthy is important to you, so I made you this!" She walked to the other side of the table and picked up a green bowl that was sitting discreetly on the bench. She dropped it unceremoniously on top of the table to reveal a lackluster salad, complete with slightly wilted lettuce, hackneyed purple cabbage, and a large tomato that she hadn't even bothered to cut. "Salad," she sad flatly. "Yum."

The men snorted. The women bit their bottom lips and ducked their heads to avoid possible eye contact. Wesley fumed.

"You're an ungrateful child," he spat as he turned around and marched into the house. Sam marched after him, unable to let him have the last word.

"And you're a controlling, self-serving prick who wouldn't know how to treat a good woman if he had a manual and an instructional video, you ass!" she yelled.

"Inside, everyone, go go go" Gibby ushered urgently. Without further prompting, the group filtered into the house to watch the rest of the exchange.

Wesley turned around and rounded on Sam. "I don't understand how you continue to be so thankless for everything I've given you, everything I've _introduced _you to. And seriously, who spends hundreds of dollars on meat to prove a stupid point?"

"YOU DO!" Sam screamed with a jab of her finger to his chest. "You spend it on dinners, cars, clothes, just to prove how much better you are than everyone else! How is this different?"

Wesley opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to find a retort. Sam continued.

"I'm tired of being lectured on every aspect of my life by someone who's supposed to **support** me, no matter what! I've managed to survive without much of a mother, so I don't need someone coming in and telling me what to eat, wear, say, and feel in my adult life when I didn't even deal with that in my child life! Your 'authority'" she spat, complete with air quotes, "is something you gave yourself to feel important-"

"Enough, Samantha-"

"IT'S. SAM." she boomed. Carly didn't realize until that moment that she had been holding her breath. "_Who_ is Samantha? Carly, do you know a Samantha?"

"No, Sam, can't say that I do," Carly replied innocently, folding her arms over her chest.

"How about you, Fredducini?"

Freddie shook his head. "Not sure. I know a pretty awesome psychopath named 'Sam,' but that's about it."

"Thanks, man," Sam mumbled gratefully. She returned her attention to her boyfriend, a renewed blaze in her eyes. "You were so damn busy molding me into someone else that you somehow managed to miss the amazing person I've always been. I don't get-"

_Ding dong!_

All nine heads turned towards the door, but nobody made a move for it. Spencer looked around the room, then tentatively volunteered to answer it. Reluctantly tearing away from the scene unfolding before him, he walked to the big door and open it slightly, obstructing the visitor's view of the people inside.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"Um, hi," the young man with long brown hair said. "I'm looking for a friend?"

Spencer chuckled lightly. "Well, we have a house here full of potential new friends for ya," he replied sarcastically, "but we're kind of in the middle of something at the moment. You may have to come back later."

"Spencer, we're not in the middle of something," Sam corrected loudly, widely gesturing to the entire group. "_We're_," she emphasized, pointing between herself and Wesley, "in the middle of something. There's a difference!"

"SAM?" the young man shouted, trying to peer about Spencer's shoulder into the house. Spencer looked at the man surprisingly, then turned around and looked back at the group. As he turned, he inadvertently revealed the handsome visitor to everyone. Once Owen came into view, all of the girls' mouths dropped simultaneously.

"Sam! Please, I just want to talk!"

"No. Freakin'. Way," Taryn gasped.

Carly's head swiveled back and forth between Sam, who stood shell-shocked, and Owen, who continued to look at her with a pathetically hopeful expression.

"Sam, c'mon. I haven't been able to sleep or function normally since I first saw you and I won't be able to until we just get some sort of … I dunno, closure, I guess? A resolution? Something."

"Owen, seriously? Now? **Right now**?" Sam asked, raking both of her hands in her hair, instantly looking stressed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but just who the hell are you?" Wesley asked with absolute acidity. The confusion that he had tried to hide was apparent, now mixed with outrage.

Owen's eyes widened. "Oh, sorry, man. Uh, I'm Owen." Owen stepped forward and held a hand out for Wesley to shake, at which Wesley stared with an expression of unrelenting disgust. After more than a few awkward seconds, when it became apparent that Wesley would not return the friendly gesture, Owen grimaced, then used his outstretched hand to point lazily at his counterpart. "Wesley, I'm assuming?"

"Obviously," Wesley scoffed. Owen took a moment to gawk at the man in the khaki shorts and yellow polo shirt, who looked to be a polarizing contrast from the trendy young woman standing next to him.

"Okay, Sam, _him_?" he guffawed. "Are you seriously okay with dating 'the bad guy' from every single John Hughes movie? There's no way. C'mon!"

Gibby leaned over to Carly and whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "You know, now that he mentions it-"

"Shh!" Carly hissed.

Sam took a small step forward. "Owen, I'm not gonna tell you again. You need to leave me-"

"-I've been an idiot," he interrupt, daring to take a step closer. "That's indisputable. I should have never left. All this, Wesley, everything we talked about, it's all my fault."

"What exactly is your goal here?" Sam asked impatiently.

"I'm curious to know that myself," Wesley sneered. Owen's focus remained on the girl with whom he had incurred so much history.

"My only goal for right now is to just get you to have a conversation with me. That's it. I'm not trying to make any sweeping declarations here, I just want five minutes of your time." Carly noticed his left hand quivering, as if he was fighting the urge to touch her.

Sam didn't know how to respond, so she opted to stand still and say nothing. Her expression remained impassive, though her eyes softened almost undetectably.

"Enough," Wesley cried. "Spencer, show this guy out."

Spencer raised his eyebrows and snorted. "I'm not your henchman, Wesley. Besides, he's not _your_ guest. If Sam wanted him out, he'd be out. Trust me."

"_Do_ you want me out, Sam?" Owen asked in a low voice.

Instead of answering, Sam looked at the ground. Carly knew just how torn she was. She wished she could swoop her friend away and have a serious girl talk with her. She remembered how much just talking with Sam helped her through difficult decisions when they were younger. Sam looked like she needed that more than ever now.

"Of course Samantha wants you out!" Wesley shouted. "Granted, she's being a little slow about it-"

"You don't speak for me, Wesley," Sam growled, rounding on Wesley once again.

Wesley cocked his head back and considered the woman before him. "I get it. You care about this asshole, is that it?"

"You're the one calling ME an asshole?" Owen stepped forward. "Interesting."

Sam secured a spot in the middle of the men, who looked ready to pounce each other at a moment's notice.

"You need to make a choice, right now," Wesley demanded. "He needs to go or I will. We'll be done, do you hear me? Your career will be finished and you'll be free to skip off with this loser, is that what you want?"

Sam squinted her eyes and smiled, shaking her head ruefully. "Wow. As long as we've been together, it would be that easy to give me up, huh? You should be begging me to stick around and you're willing to let me go over a bruised ego? And you use my dancing career as blackmail? Incredible."

There was a silence that fell between the couple while everyone waited for Sam's next move. She simply shrugged.

"Well? Owen's still here. Why are you?"

Wesley's eyes grew wide as he understood the implication of Sam's question. "So that's it?"

"Looks like it," she answered simply. "It was fun. Sort of. Not really."

Wesley stared her down for a moment before smirking evilly. "It was all a grand waste of my time."

"None of that's necessary," Gibby piped in authoritatively. "Just make you're way out, man."

Wesley tipped his head back and laughed bitterly. "Of course, you'd butt in!" He stretched his arms out at both sides and turned slowly. "All the men around here all seem to jump at the chance to defend Samantha Puckett, whether it's warranted or not!" He faced Sam again, donning a maniacal smile. "For a girl who's so damn independent, you seem to need a lot of testosterone backing."

Carly's blood boiled and she was unable to remain silent. "It's not just a male thing, Wesley," Carly interjected angrily. "There's a few women here that aren't afraid to tear you apart, too, so try your best not to step out of line." Sam turned to her and smiled. It wasn't often that Carly got to show her sassy side, but she was always ready to defend her friends fiercely.

"Carly, I swear-"

"Before you say another word to my fiancé," Freddie jumped in, "know that I. Will. End. You. Watch yourself."

Carly felt such a rush of affection, excitement, and hope at Freddie's defense that she had to refrain from dragging him upstairs and smothering him. Though they were on shaky terms and hadn't really spoken all day, he still jumped to her side, being more of a hero to her than ever. She loved him more than anything.

Wesley laughed harder and shook his head. "You're all seriously delusional! How is being overly involved conducive to a healthy friendship? Sam and I have never been anyone else's business, yet you all just can't seem to butt out!"

"And you just can't seem to find the door!' Jax said pointedly. "Do you need help locating it?"

Carly guessed that it was Jax's imposing nature that prevented the villainous man from directing any sarcasm towards him. Instead, he faced Sam once more. "You know, it's fine. I'm free to find a woman more worthy than you, which shouldn't be hard. And you're free to scamper off like a slut-"

Just then, a lot of things happened at once: Spencer leapt to hold Owen back from attacking Wesley, just as Gibby held back Freddie. Jax worked hard to prevent Carly, Taryn, and Dallas from leaping on the snooty man who had just insulted their friend to the highest degree, their high pitched wailing adding a frantic soundtrack to the all-around chaos.

Nobody, however, was available to hold back Sam, which was how she managed to land a hard, very accurate punch to his throat.

Wesley fell back to the ground with a thud, gasping for air and striving to open his eyes as he tried to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him. Though Sam was small, she toward menacingly over her ex-boyfriend.

"Your crap is already packed," she growled. "Take the car and head back to Florida. When you get to the apartment, immediately pack your stuff and, for the love of God, you better be gone by the time I come back."

Wesley coughed as he tried to speak. "My…apartment."

"Oh-ho-ho, feel free to argue that point with my uncle Carmine and Cousin Chaz," Sam chortled. "I invited them to stay at the apartment, just until they've ensured me that you've left without pulling any shenanigans. And before you threaten anything," she pressed on, holding up her hand to prevent any possible interruption, "they're pretty knowledgeable of the law, too. They can make you miserable and avoid a cell, no problem. You just remember that, okay, sweetums?" She patted his head for good measure, then stood up and turned to Spencer. He was standing with Owen, and both men looked very proud at that moment.

"Spencer, do you think you can escort this guest out?" she asked innocently.

"Absolutely," Spencer agreed. "Jax, you mind grabbing his stuff?"

Jax stepped forward willingly. "Sure thing, buddy." He made his way over to Sam and Wesley's room just as Spencer stomped over to Wesley, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the floor. Carly enjoyed the sight of Wesley, who always carried himself with such undeserved dignity and arrogance, being tossed out like a common criminal. She could already see the dark cloud that had hovered over all of them throughout the trip dissipating. She couldn't be happier…but she still had an incredible urge to slap him. She just managed to hold back.

Jax emerged from the room with a suitcase and a large duffel bag just as Spencer neared closer to the door. Still gripping Wesley tightly, he opened the door to find Brad standing there with a shocked expression, fist aloft and ready to knock. His wife stood behind him, just as surprised at the sight. Without a word, they both stepped aside and allowed Spencer to exit with the unwelcome guest. Jax followed, nodding politely to the new arrivals. Brad and Isabelle slowly entered the cabin, each holding a suitcase, and looked around the group."

"Umm," he uttered. "Obviously, we missed something."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm so glad that I was able to get this chapter out this morning. This has been one of the moments that I could not wait to get to. I hope Wesley's exit was befitting of his character. :o)**

**Thank you all who have continued to read, favorite, alert, and REVIEW this story! As I say all the time, I appreciate it so much. I hope you all liked this installment. I'm already excited about the next chapter. **

**Also, in case you aren't aware, I have started a new drabble collection, for those of you who enjoy your Creddie moments snack-sized. It's called iDig Wordplay. Check it out! You may like it.**

**Thanks again, y'all. I hope you enjoy "iHalfoween" tonight, for those who will be watching, and please enjoy the rest of your weekend!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: This story is rated "T" for language and themes. In addition, iDon't own iCarly**.

* * *

><p>Thanks to Wesley's dramatic exit, it took a moment for Brad and Isabelle's arrival to register with the rest of the group. Carly was the first person to officially greet them.<p>

"Brad! Izzy!" she cried enthusiastically. "Oh my God, guys, I'm so glad you're here!" She moved forward and welcomed Brad with a bear hug, then quickly moved on to Isabelle, who still looked somewhat perplexed about what they had witnessed.

"Carly!" she replied. "So happy to see you! Is everything alright?"

"It's fine," Carly shrugged. She vaguely gestured towards the door. "I promise we'll explain all…that…later. Let's just get you settled."

"Brad!" Freddie greeted. "You guys made it!"

Brad chortled. "It's good to see that after eight years, you three still know how to avoid a dull moment! Good to see you, pal!" He met Freddie with a brotherly hug, clapping his back firmly. The rest of the group greeted the couple, introducing themselves along the way, as Spencer and Jax returned to the cabin. All the while, Owen stood awkwardly off to the side. Carly took notice and immediately felt bad.

"Owen," Carly beckoned. "Why don't I introduce you to everyone, as well?"

Sam gave Carly a sharp look that communicated that she would rather not bring any additional attention to him. When everyone quieted down and it became apparent that there was no way to simply ignore his presence, Sam sighed and stood next to him.

"It's cool, Carls, I can just… um, everyone, this Owen, and old friend from college. Owen, this is Carly, Freddie, Spencer, Brad and his wife, Isabelle, Gibby, Jax, and you know Dal and Tar."

Everyone greeted Owen warmly, which seemed to help him relax, if only a little. "It's nice meeting you all," then he turned to Carly and Freddie, "and congrats on your nuptials. That's pretty badass."

"Thanks, Owen," Freddie replied laughingly.

Owen bashfully pointed a thumb towards the door. "Sorry about all the drama, I didn't mean for all that-"

"-it's fine, really," Carly assured him sweetly. "It's been boiling over for a while. Are you sticking around?"

Rather than answer himself, he looked at Sam hopefully. She looked reluctant, but before she could say anything, Gibby added, "You should, bro! There are - and I do not exaggerate when I say this - piles upon _piles_ of bacon and steak on the deck, and that deserves your immediate attention."

"I dunno," Owen winced. "I don't want to barge in more than I already have-"

"Were you really going to hit that jerk, Wesley, had I not held you back?" Spencer asked.

"Yes," Owen replied without a moment of hesitation. "Hard and repeatedly."

Carly caught the small, flattered smile that Sam was trying her best to hide.

"Then as far as I'm concerned, you're one of us," Spencer said decidedly, clapping his shoulder. "Let's go eat."

Jax, Gibby and Spencer crowded Owen and led him to the picnic table while chanting "ONE OF US! ONE OF US!" and Sam followed, rolling her eyes. Carly took advantage of the moment and grabbed Freddie's wrist, turning him around gently.

"Freddie," she called in hushed tone. "I've been dying to talk to you all day."

He glanced at Brad and Isabelle, still standing there with their luggage, then said, "Umm, let me show Brad and Isabelle where they'll be staying, then we can talk, alright?

Carly sighed, then smiled weakly and nodded. He smiled back and mouthed 'thanks' before patting her hand, which was still on his wrist reassuringly. "Brad, Isabelle, let me grab that for you and you guys can follow me upstairs."

"Thanks, Freddie," Brad responded graciously while handing him both of their bags. He stepped forward and gave Carly a quick peck on the cheek. "It's so awesome to see you, Carly!"

"You, too, Brad!"

Isabelle smiled excitedly, grabbed Carly's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before following her husband and Freddie up the stairs. Despite her happiness regarding the arrival of her good friends, Carly could feel her anxiety spike a little at another thwarted attempt to make amends. "_Soon_," she thought to herself as she went to join the others on the deck. Just as she stepped through the back door she was yanked into the clustered group of ladies by Taryn.

"Eat up," Taryn commanded, handing her a small plate holding five strips of turkey bacon, "because we're kidnapping you in the next few minutes."

"**Kidnapping**?" Carly yelped, just before Sam put a hand over her mouth to stifle and further outbursts. Sam looked over at the other side of the table, where all the men seemed to be chatting animatedly in their own group, before removing it.

"Yup," Dallas confirmed with a smile. "We're getting you dolled up and drunk."

Carly knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Didn't we do that yesterday?"

Dallas looked at her blankly. "Your point?"

"Look, I know I've had my own chizz going on and I'm _really _sorry about all that," Sam said apologetically. "But I promise that I haven't forgotten what this week's been about. And tonight, my dear, is your bachelorette party!"

She loved her girls, of this she was certain. She just hated their timing.

"You guys," she sighed, "I don't know if tonight -"

"It's our only shot!" Taryn hissed. "Your dad will be here tomorrow and the wedding's the day after that. You can't be hungover at the alter."

"_You_ were," Dallas reminded her with a smirk.

"Regardless," Taryn continued, flashing a rude gesture towards Dallas, "you _need_ to have one last wild night as a non-married woman. Trust me. The boys are taking Freddie somewhere tonight for his bachelor shindig. He can't be the only one having fun, right?"

Carly appreciated their enthusiasm, but she still wasn't convinced. "Brad and Isabelle just got here," she pointed out as a last ditch effort. "Don't you think it's a bit much, considering they've only been here a few minutes?"

"They're fine with it," Sam informed her. "I've been texting Iz all day, she's even volunteered to be DD. Gibby's been talking to Brad and he's cool. When are you going to believe when I tell you that we've got it all covered?"

"It's not about that Sam, it's just-"

"You're going," Dallas interjected firmly. "And you're getting ready in Sam's room with us so you can't barricade yourself upstairs. Now be a good girl and eat your bacon."

Carly looked hopefully at the door, wishing that Freddie would hurry up and come outside before the girls whisked her away. Alas, they remained outside for ten more minutes before the girls carried her off to Sam's quarters. Freddie returned downstairs with Brad and Isabelle just seconds after Carly had been taken hostage.

* * *

><p>The soon-to-be bride tried not to let her personal issues get in the way of truly appreciating her friend's efforts, which were plentiful and quite generous. Sam had purchased a dress for Carly to wear that night and Carly simply could not ignore its beauty: the entire dress was made of a smooth satin material and the top was strapless and turquoise, the bottom was a dark purple and made of tiered ruffles falling to the middle of her thigh. Both halves were separated by a large, shiny plastic belt. She had even bought her a pair of short turquoise boots to match. Dallas volunteered to do her hair while Taryn did her make-up.<p>

"I can't believe how much you guys are pampering me right now!" Carly squealed.

"Well, you deserve it, sweetie," Dallas said as she coiled a strand of Carly's hair around a hot barrel curling iron. "Now stop talking so Tar can get your lipgloss on."

Sam exited the bathroom wearing only a lacy bra, a pair of blue skinny jeans, and plain ankle socks. She was busy rubbing moisturizer on her face and locating her red cowgirl boots. "Taryn, where did you find this bar, anyways?"

"Zaplooked it," Taryn replied quickly as she carefully applied Carly's lipgloss. "A lot of people seemed to really like it."

"Line dancing should be fun," Dallas added hopefully. "At least after a few martinis."

"One time, Brad and I went line-dancing in Charlotte," Isabelle recalled from her seat on the bed. She was already dressed and ready to go, but stayed in the room to chat. Carly thought Isabelle looked amazing: her long, light brown hair was straightened and laid neatly against her back. The spaghetti-strapped, knee-length blue and forest green paisley dress was cinched at her waist with a braided dark brown belt and accentuated her thick curves wonderfully. Her bronze skin donned very little make-up, which Carly admired her for. Isabelle was a natural beauty. "We went to this saloon when his parents visited. Him and his dad loved every second of it and danced more than me and his mother, combined. At the end of the night, there were so many people stopping us to compliment them that he tried to get us to do it every weekend. If he knew we were going to a country bar, he'd probably ditch Freddie and come along."

All of the girls laughed at Isabelle's story as Taryn finished working on Carly's make-up. "Jax is a one-man rhythm-less nation. If he ever agreed to go dancing with me, I think I'd faint."

"I guess I'm pretty lucky," Carly said wistfully. "He's a pretty good dancer and doesn't mind going dancing every now and then. He's amazing."

"Girl, are you planning on being this mushy all night?" Dallas groaned playfully.

"Oh, let her," Sam sighed, pulling up her flannel-print corseted tube top. "It'll probably get worse with every drink, anyways."

Carly giggled. "She's right, you know."

"Ignore Dallas," Taryn advised Carly as she stood up. "Her grumpiness is a direct result of her not getting any for a while."

Dallas laughed with a shrug. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Oh, before I forget, Carly, I need your phone," Isabelle announced definitively. She walked over to her and stuck out her hand, waiting patiently. Curiously, Carly grabbed her phone from the nearest table and handed it over.

"Sure, Izzy. Is your phone not working?"

"Oh, it's fine," Isabelle assured her. "Sam just told me that I have to hold on to it so you won't be tempted to text Freddie all night."

"And since she'll be the only sober one, I figured she'd be the only one trustworthy enough to hold on to it," Sam supplied with a smug expression. "Sorry, rules of the bachelorette party!"

Carly shook her head with mild frustration. She was beginning to think she wouldn't get the chance to talk to him until after the wedding. "Great," she mumbled under her breath.

* * *

><p>"So how do you last moments as a free man feel?" Gibby asked over the loud crowd at the popular bar, Parker's. "Does it feel similar to walking a plank?"<p>

Freddie laughed into his beer. "Well, Gib, I can't say that I've ever walked a plank, so I'm not sure. I don't feel negatively about it, though. I'm really psyched."

"Yeah…the whole 'ball 'n chain' mentality is pretty archaic now," Brad offered. "Marriage is a blessing, Gibby, not some punishment. As a matter of fact, weren't you ready to walk said plank yourself not too long ago?"

"I was," Gibby admitted willingly, "and Beth turned out to be insane. Imagine what I would have been binding myself to _for life_?"

Spencer drained his pint and set it on the table. "Well, Carly isn't crazy. A tad emotional at times, yes, but not crazy. Freddie's got himself a prize."

Gibby smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no doubt about that." He raised his glass in salute. "To Freddie!"

"To Freddie!" the rest of the men repeated jubilantly, clinking their glasses and taking a swig of their drinks (except Spencer). Owen was the first to set his glass down.

"I can't thank you guys enough for inviting me along," he said with a lopsided grin. "I don't know if I would have been so hospitable to a guy who crashed my weekend and caused such a ruckus."

Jax grabbed the pitcher from the middle of their table and refilled Owen's mug. "We told you, none of that was your doing. Wesley was just a bad dude. If it hadn't been you, it would have been something else."

"That story was crazy," Brad said, still awestruck from the details they shared regarding the past few days. "I can't believe Sam would even be with a guy like that! She's usually so tough!"

"Yeah, it's been like watching a sci-fi movie," Freddie added. "I'm just glad it's over."

"Well, any man who would have an amazing woman like that and ruin it is a textbook idiot."

There was a tense silence as all the men avoided looking in Owen's direction.

"Sorry, bro," Brad apologized. "I didn't mean you."

"No, it's cool," Owen shrugged, smiling embarrassingly. "It's the truth. If I had figured it out sooner than I wouldn't have had to drive almost three hours to try to win her back. That's why I envy you, Freddie. It seems like you've always known what to do with a good woman. Sam used to talk about you guys even before you got together and it seemed like you just…_got it_, you know? You just _know_ what to do."

Freddie looked into his cup and contemplated what Owen was saying. If that was the case, why has he felt off-kilter with her lately?

"Not always," he mumbled, disheartened. Though his vision was still trained downward, he could feel the rest of the men's eyes on him. Instead of asking questions, they just patiently waited for him to elaborate.

"Hey, does this mood have anything to do with what we talked about yesterday at the basketball court?" Jax asked. "Haven't you fixed that yet?"

"Mind filling the rest of us in?" Spencer piped in. Freddie proceeded to tell them about the e-mail he discovered on Carly's computer.

"Did you talk to her about it, like I told you to?" Jax asked before taking another sip of his beer.

"I tried to when we got back, but she still didn't bring it up. I admit, it made me pretty mad. I even went running with Gib and Dallas to clear my mind. Honestly, I've been kind of avoiding her a little bit."

"Well, how do you expect to fix it if you won't even stick around her long enough to talk to her about it, especially if she doesn't know that she upset you?" Spencer asked.

Freddie sat back and rubbed his eyes slowly. For the first time, he was about to voice the deep-seated concerns he'd been harboring for a while. Confident that this group would be brutally honest with him if anything he said sounded unfounded (with the exception of Owen, whom he'd only known for four hours), he decided not to hold back.

"It's not just her," Freddie admitted. "It's a little bit of me, too. Actually, it's _a lot _of me. I think the job offer kind of made me feel a bit self-conscious, like I could be holding her back. The first thing I thought was 'Is she not telling me because she's trying to spare my feelings?'"

The group took a moment to reflect on what Freddie was saying, then Gibby offered, "Well, is it possible that she didn't say anything because she doesn't plan on taking the job, anyways?"

"Naw, Gib, it's her dream job," Freddie replied. "Besides, if she didn't plan on taking it, why would she keep it from me?"

"Possibly because she knew you'd feel guilty about it," Spencer hypothesized. "You know her, she has an overwhelming desire to please everyone. She hates the idea of making anyone feel bad. She's even felt pity for Nevel more than once!"

Freddie chuckled lightly as he considered what Spencer was saying. "Yeah, I know you're right. I guess I still have a hard time believing that all this is happening and I'm just waiting for that fateful moment when I muck everything up. And no, it's not like she's ever made me feel this way, it's totally me. It's like I still have 12-year-old Freddie perched on my shoulder, reminding me that I'm about to marry _Carly freakin' Shay, _the same girl that I never quite felt cool enough for. Over the years, even well before we started dating, I've allowed us to kind of slip into this old married couple routine and I'm always nagging her about her eating and sleeping habits and there are times when I'm just so _damn _scared that all this will push her away someday. Then I saw that e-mail and I just pictured the worst…like 'someday' was already here."

There was a heavy silence that fell over the table and after a few seconds, a sound that resembled the tiniest of sniffles came from Gibby's seat. Spencer squinted his eyes in his direction.

"Gibby, are you crying, buddy?"

Gibby snorted loudly. "No! This bar is just kind of smoky and it's killing my allergies! You don't know my life!"

Gibby quickly made his way to the bathroom while the rest of the men stifled their laughter. Jax shook his head then turned to Freddie.

"Okay, Freddie, first of all, you've got to tell 12-year-old Freddie to hush his mouth and stay out of grown folks' business."

"Amen," Brad cosigned, raising his glass. "If Carly truly felt any of that, she'd already be gone and you know it."

Freddie nodded dully. They definitely had a point.

"Furthermore," Spencer interjected, "I feel like my sister is totally cool with the old married couple feeling. It's not like she was all that adventurous before you to got together. If she were, she would have allowed Sam to get her in a lot more trouble when they were younger. You've always been her rock, Freddie, and she loves you for it."

"I've only seen you guys together for a five-minute period," Owen chipped in, "and I can honestly say that if Sam ever looked at me the way Carly looked at you when you stood up for her against that dick, I'd be over the moon. You're set, man. She's not going anywhere."

Freddie felt a sudden swell of affection for his friends. They were real with him, they didn't make him feel like an idiot for possibly over-analyzing, and they truly had his back. He even decided that he really liked Owen and hoped things worked out between him and his best friend.

Just then, Gibby returned from the bathroom, his eyes slightly redder.

"Alright, fellas, confession time," he said somberly. "Yes, I was a little weepy. But it's only because love rocks and even though what you were talking about was kind of sad, it's just awesome to see you care so much about a person, you know? That's a gift, dude. And she feels the same way about you, Freddie, no question. It's beautiful, it's all really freakin' beautiful."

Jax clapped Gibby's back supportively as he wiped his eyes dry. Freddie looked around the table and smiled. He stood up so that he could address his friends more formally.

"First of all, thank you, Gib. I really appreciated that."

"You got it," Gibby nodded.

"And Owen, I think I can speak for all of us when I say you're a really cool guy. You're welcome to stay for the wedding, man. And before you say anything, _no_, you're _not_ imposing. I'm sincerely welcoming you there."

Owen smiled fully. "Thanks, bro. That's really nice of you."

Freddie nodded abruptly. "And to all of you I just want to say thank you for tonight, for this week, for the past decade and beyond. I mean this whole-heartedly: I love you guys."

Freddie rose his glass and the rest of the men silently followed suit, clinking them once more. They took a collective swig of their drinks and set them down with a dull thud.

"Well, that was all very sweet, brother," Jax observed sincerely. "And proof that we aren't _nearly _drunk enough."

The men laughed as Jax signaled the bar for another pitcher.

"I tell you what," Brad sighed. "I hope when the time comes, my son can navigate through all this women stuff a lot smoother than we were able to."

Freddie laughed. "Tell me about it. But you and Izzy have plenty of time to worry about that, right?"

A small smile crept across Brad's face. "Well, actually…"

* * *

><p>"HOLY SHIT, IZ, YOU'RE PREGNANT?"<p>

Sam's exclamation was heard by all of The Giddy-Up's patrons and elicited a few cheers of congratulations from some of the neighboring strangers. Sam was still holding the light beer she'd been trying to pressure Isabelle into drinking, shocked by her reveal.

"Ohmygod, when did you find out?" Carly squealed with glee. Aside from her bubbling joy from her friends news, she felt sudden relief that they had chosen not to go to a smoky bar. The Giddy-Up was actually very clean and respectable. While just a minute ago this would have seemed unimportant, knowing that Isabelle wasn't at major risk was satisfying. After a brief thought, Carly took out her emergency hand sanitizer from her purse and stationed it next to Isabelle for her use at whim.

"About a three weeks ago," Isabelle explained, flashing Carly a grateful smile for her considerate gesture. "We didn't say anything because we didn't want to take any attention away from you and Freddie, but yeah. I'm about nine weeks!"

Sam put the beer down and walked around the table to give Isabelle a tight hug from behind. "That's awesome and I'm sooooo sorry! I thought you were just being lame. I didn't think you were growing a human!"

Isabelle laughed and patted Sam's arm fondly. "It's alright, girly. Trust me, if I weren't pregnant, I'd be partying. I just wanted to spend time with you guys, especially for Carly's special week."

"That's so beautiful, Izzy, I'm so happy for you guys," Carly gushed, feeling a little high spirited, thanks to her second appletini. She felt a little guilty now for drinking so freely when Isabelle couldn't, so she made a mental note to slow down. "I can't wait for Freddie and I to have kids."

"Uh oh," Sam said, eyes fearful. "How soon will I be an aunt?"

Carly giggled. "Who knows? It's up to fate, really. I wouldn't mind if it was sooner rather than later, though."

"But I thought Freddie said he wanted to wait a while," Taryn pointed out while twirling her straw in her vodka cocktail. "Remember? A couple nights ago at dinner."

Carly did remember him saying that he wanted to a wait. She didn't dwell on it then, but now that it was being brought up again, it did strike a curious note with her.

"Yeah, that was confusing. We've talked about kids before and he'd always seemed pretty eager. Him wanting to wait is something new."

"Well, maybe he just changed his mind," Dallas guessed with a shrug. "It happens."

Despite the logic, Carly still shook her head. "No, it was kind of weird for him. Actually, he's been pretty weird for the past couple days."

"How so?" Isabelle asked before taking a sip of her cranberry juice.

Carly gave them a brief recount of the e-mail she received from the Sounders and the minor fallout that resulted from it.

"I haven't been able to get a moment alone to talk to him since last night."

"Oh, no!" Taryn gasped. "If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you tell Freddie about the e-mail to begin with?"

"I don't know," Carly groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I thought I could just handle it on my own. I'm not even sure I want the job, I didn't want to worry him unnecessarily."

Sam cocked her head to the side. "But…why would an amazing job offer worry him?"

"Because a job like that would change everything! Can you imagine starting off a marriage with a major decision like that? We may have to move or I might have to immediately travel. It just seemed like too much for the both of us to handle at the time."

"So you decided to just handle it all by yourself," Dallas summarized smugly. "How'd _that_ work out for you?"

Carly grimaced, realizing just how silly she had been. If she had just told Freddie about the job from the beginning, he would have been happy for her fortune. She was just so afraid of coming off as selfish that she didn't consider how upset he would be if he ever found out that she had withheld something this major from him.

"I'm soooo stupid," Carly concluded with a pout. "Instead of helping things, I made him feel left out. Awesome."

Sam rubbed Carly's back reassuringly, then made her way to the deserted bar behind their table. Dallas patted Carly's hand and smiled warmly. "It's cool. It's obvious that you meant well and if you just explain it to him, he'll understand. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Brad and I went through the same exact thing when we were starting out," Isabelle added. "It's just the trial-and-error that come with taking a relationship from one level to the next. It doesn't make you dumb, not even a little bit."

"Really?" Carly asked in a small voice.

"I promise," Isabelle confirmed with a nod. "It was even worse for me because I've always been crazy independent. I was always the first to say that I didn't need a man, I didn't _want_ a man, and I'll do whatever I want. My decisions were _mine_, so I never felt a need to check in with anyone else. I just had to realize that once I said those vows, I was joining a partnership. It just took some getting used to, that's all."

In that moment, Carly was very grateful for Isabelle, for all of her friends. They understood that mistakes happen and instead of making her feel guilty, they helped her learn from it. She couldn't wait to get back to Freddie.

"You guys are amazing," Carly stated simply. She felt herself get choked up with emotion.

"Hey, no tears," Sam commanded, setting a fresh appletini in front of the bachelorette. "Happy thoughts. So, what are you gonna say when you see him?"

"No clue." She took a sip of her drink and was amused by the fact that the alcohol wasn't quite as detectable as it was in the first two drinks. Quietly, she reminded herself that Sam more than likely asked the bartender to make the drink 'fully loaded' and chose to sip sensibly, just in case.

"Honestly, I don't know how you held on to something so big for soooooo long," Taryn said with a lean forward. "I mean, if it were me, I would have burst on the first day. To keep silent and not say a word to anyone? To _anyone?_ I couldn't have done it. Nope! It would have just sloooooowly eaten away at my very co-"

"I'VE BEEN SLEEPING WITH GIBBY!"

The table fell completely silent with Dallas's sudden outburst. Everyone's mouths were wide open in shock. Her breath was very heavy and she immediately began chugging her drink with a vengeance, refusing to look anyone in the eye just yet.

"No," Carly gasped.

"Yeah," Dallas replied, almost painfully.

"You're joking," Sam insisted.

"Nope," Dallas shook her head vigorously. "Nope, we've done it. Lots. Lots of times."

Taryn tipped her head back and let out a gut-busting howl. "You skank," she teased, slapping Dallas's arm playfully. "I can't believe you never said anything!"

"I know, but there's was something so…awesome about sneaking around," Dallas admitted breathlessly. "I don't even remember how it started! The first time we tried to go jogging together, we ended up running for about a quarter of a mile before stopping at a breakfast place and we just…talked. For hours, actually. It was really nice."

Carly still had trouble absorbing this new information. She knew they got along, but she still couldn't picture them together in _that_ sense. After thinking about it a little more, she was thankful that she was unable to conjure up such a visual.

"Okay…" Isabelle pressed on eagerly. "Then what?"

Dallas toyed with her empty cup bashfully. "Well, after dinner that night we ended up sitting on the porch for a while, talking some more. I got a little chilly, so he went inside and grabbed a blanket for us to share. _Yada yada yada_, cut to us making out, next thing you know-"

"**On the porch**?" Taryn squealed.

"Ugh! I _implore _you not to finish that story!" Sam begged with her hands covering her ears.

"Shut up, both of you! And _no_, not on the porch! We snuck into my room. He's been crashing there every night ever since."

A light bulb suddenly went off in Carly's head. "So the other morning when I saw Gibby on our floor and he claimed his shower was broken…"

Dallas simply nodded. Carly whistled. "Wow. Unbelievable. Crafty. Very crafty. Do you guys even _jog_?"

"We did when Freddie insisted on coming with us," Dallas admitted. "That was the only time, though. Damn near killed us."

There was a brief silence while everyone digested her confession. Sam finally spoke up.

"So…are you guys, like, a couple or something?"

"_Couple of freaks_," Taryn mumbled under her breath wickedly, which earned her a hard pinch on the arm from Dallas.

"Not really. I mean, there's the distance factor. We're just…enjoying each other's company while we can."

The table seemed to have accepted that answer. After another pause, Taryn slapped the table resolutely and smiled.

"I think we all deserve a toast," she declared with a raise of her glass. The rest of the girls followed with their own beverages. "A toast to blessed bonds," she began, then looked towards Isabelle, "to the gift of life, to new beginnings," she continued with a tip of her glass to both Carly and Sam, "and to Dallas…for finally getting her a piece!"

"HERE HERE!" the group cheered, bringing their drinks together with a crisp _clink._

"I hate you all," Dallas said flatly, though her smile betrayed her true feelings.

* * *

><p>The girls' car ride back to the cabin was a festive one. After a night of line dancing, drinking (which Carly, of course, partook in, but was happy to find that she wasn't nearly as drunk as Taryn and Dallas), and constant cheers for the bachelorette (which resulted in a lot of congratulations and free drinks from the other bar-goers), they were still in high spirits by the time they arrived at the cabin. Even Isabelle, who hadn't a drop of alcohol all night, seemed to be almost as energized as the rest of them. When they arrived home, they remained in the living room, chatting loudly and recounting some of the best moments of the night. Twenty minutes later, the distinct sound of a truck pulling into the drive caught Taryn's attention.<p>

"Boys are back!" she shouted just before opening the door and practically flying outside.

"She's. Wasted." Isabelle whispered to Carly. Both women giggled as they followed her outside. Before all the boys had a chance to file out of the car, Taryn was already in Jax's arms, kissing him in short pecks all over his face.

"Uh oh," he laughed. "Somebody's tipsy!"

Brad exited the driver's seat of the car and immediately walked towards his wife.

"Was your ride home as fun as mine?" he asked with a smirk.

Isabelle laughed in response as he approached. "More so, I'm sure." They hugged tightly as he placed a quick kiss in her hair.

In a flash, Dallas rushed past the girls and sailed towards Gibby, who just managed to escape the vehicle.

"GIBBY, I TOLD THEM!" she yelled, still running towards him. Gibby let out a howl of laughter.

"You blabbermouth!" he teased. She leapt into his arms, which caused him to sway the slightest bit before getting his bearings. As he steadied his hold on her, she planted a firm kiss on his lips. Since Carly was confronted with the image of them together, specifically him carrying her to the cabin as they continued to kiss, she concluded that they did actually make a cute pairing, as odd as it seemed at first.

"Sooooo weird," Sam mused, suddenly appearing from behind. Her vision flitted from Gibby and Dallas to Owen, who was walking towards them alongside Freddie and Spencer, chatting cordially. Carly may have noticed Sam's nervous expression, if she hadn't been so focused on her approaching fiancé. This was it. She was going to have this discussion and she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.

"Freddie, I need to talk to you **right now**!" she demanded a little louder than she originally intended. It took the others by surprise.

"Uuuh, hey Sam, do you think you have a little time to catch up before you head off to bed?" Owen asked, obviously trying to flee the scene before it became awkward.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, a little. Truth be told, I've been dying to check out your car."

Owen smiled wider than he had since arriving at the cabin and led Sam in the direction of his Chevy. Spencer rocked back and forth once on the balls of his feet, then wordlessly made his way into the house. Carly and Freddie were alone at last, but the latter looked hesitant.

"Carly," he began cautiously, "I know both of us have had a good amount to drink-"

"I'm fine," Carly pushed. "And so are you. No more excuses, talk to me now."

Freddie blinked twice, then gave a slight nod. "You got it."

They walked silently to the fire pit in the front. Freddie sat on one of the glossy benches while Carly began to pace in front of him. The soft night air fluttered her hair around her face and caused her to wrap her arms around herself.

"You not talking to me all day really sucked," she began sternly. "I can't say that I blame you, though. I probably wouldn't have talked to you if you had kept something huge from me, which I'm _really_ sorry about, by the way!" She stopped to make sure that he had registered her apology. His expression was soft and he nodded his understanding.

"Still," she continued. "you can't just avoid me whenever we have an issue. You _know _that drives me crazy! You've always said that we need to face our issues like adults and you promised me that we would _never _go to bed angry. You totally broke that promise, Freddie, and I'm the one that suffered for it all day. I managed to overlook the fact that you were _snooping on my computer_, by the way. I'm more upset that you would leave something between us broken just _two days _before the wedding!" She paused after a moment's thought, then she huffed. "You know, I swear this started out as an apology, but now I'm just pissed off!"

She looked at Freddie and expected to see the spark in his eye that usually indicated that they were in a fight. Standing still and tapping her foot impatiently with her hands on her hips, she waited for his defense. Instead, he just sat there, looking at her with the same soft expression and a ghost of a smile. It irritated her even more.

"What are _you_ so damn happy about?" she asked incredulously.

He just shrugged. "You're just…absolutely gorgeous, that's all."

Carly could almost feel herself getting choked up for the second time that night. How could she continue to fight against that?

"Oh," she uttered quietly. Clearing her throat and trying to hold back the tear that threatened to escape, Carly mumbled a shy "thanks."

Freddie held out a hand to her hopefully, waiting for her to take it. She exhaled, feeling slightly deflated, and took it, allowing him to pull her onto his lap. He wrapped he arms around her waist and rested his head against the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She had been waiting to feel this all day, the warmth of his embrace. Instantly, she relaxed.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he said softly. "You're right, I've been a hypocrite. Funny thing is that I wasn't even sure that I was all that mad at you. I was mainly mad at myself."

"That doesn't even make sense, Freddie," Carly shook her head in confusion. "What did you do?"

Freddie sighed. "I felt like I was doing the one thing I swore I would never do: I thought I was holding you back. When I saw the e-mail, I immediately thought you weren't telling me because you thought I'd beg you to not take it, or that you were already _thinking _of not taking the job because it would mean time away from me."

Carly thought about how similar it sounded to her fears regarding the position, but she decided that now wasn't the time to get into that.

"A lot of old insecurities came up, the more I thought about it," he continued. "I remember when I first talked to Gibby about eloping and you know what he asked me? He asked me what was in it for me. I didn't really have an answer at the time, but I think I know now why I was so pushy about it."

Perking up to look him in the eye, Carly waited for his revelation. They had never really discussed their decision to elope in depth, once they agreed upon it.

"I've been really worried that I've allowed us to become an old married couple. Let's be real, we've been an old married couple since we were sixteen and it was cute then, but I worry that it could potential end us, you know? Most of the people I work with are either divorced or on their second marriage and most of them talk about how their marriages failed because they got bored and couldn't get the spark back. I don't _ever_ want that to happen to us! I think eloping kind of gave me the chance to show you that I could still be spontaneous. I don't want you to ever get bored with me, Carls. I don't ever want you to feel like you're missing out on something, like I'm anchoring you."

Feeling almost bowled over by the amount of love and honesty Freddie had shown her, she rested her forehead against his.

"Freddie, I love the fact that we're an 'old married couple.' If we practice it a lot now, we'll be really good at by the time we're actually old and married!"

Freddie let out a shaky laugh and squeezed her tighter. "Seriously, Carly-"

"I'm serious, Freddie!" she insisted. "I love that you know what tea I like to drink before bed and that most Fridays you're entirely okay with us watching a movie on pay-per-view and ordering Chinese. We have a morning routine, we know what we're doing every Tuesday and I know to pick the cantaloupe out of your fruit salad and I love all of that, Freddie, I really do! I love that we know how to take care of each other so well. If that means we're an old, boring married couple, then so be it. And for the record: you could never hold me back. Hell, I'll never be able to take even the tiniest step forward without you from now on."

It was dark outside, but Carly thought that Freddie's eyes looked a little glossy. She felt his right hand squeeze her side possessively. "I could never love anyone else the way I love you, Carly Shay," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "I could never lose you."

"You won't," Carly assured him without hesitation. "I love you so, so much."

Within a second, his lips were on hers, kissing her hungrily. Carly framed his face with her hands and pulled him as close as possible, though it was physically impossible to be any closer. He nibbled on her bottom lip, which fueled her even further. She flicked her tongue across his upper lip, just to make him whimper, like she knew he would. It was like they were making up for months of lost time, even though it had only been a day. Boldly, Carly straddled his hips and soon after he lifted her up in order to lay her down fully on the bench. Without breaking their kiss, he laid himself on top of her, burying a hand in her hair keeping the other on her waist. Just as he began to trail butterfly kisses across her cheek, they heard a round of obnoxious cheering in the distance. They stopped what they were doing (as joyous as it was) to look at each other curiously. Then they looked towards the cabin, where they found almost the entire group (with the exception of Sam and Owen) looking back at them from the second floor balcony. Amongst their riotous cheering, whooping, and clapping, Spencer could be heard yelling "SHE'S STILL MY BABY SISTER, BENSON!"

Freddie buried his face in Carly's neck and groaned. "They leave in a few days, right?"

"They better," Carly answered with a smile. Freddie lifted his head and kissed her chastely on the lips before lifting himself off of her and helping her to her feet.

"Come on," he urged, wearing his most seductive expression and nodding towards the disruptive crowd. "Let's put the children to bed, then we can go to our room, where I fully intend to earn your _complete _forgiveness."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Not gonna lie: I've been dying to get to the conversation between Carly and Freddie, as well as the Dalby reveal (or would it Dibby? Giblas?), so I have been writing nonstop since the last update. This is probably the quickest I have ever put up a chapter, and it's the longest one, at that. I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Only a few more chapters left! I think there may only be two, maybe three. We're definitely getting close. **

**Also, if you haven't already, please check out "iDig Wordplay!"**

**Thank you all so much for the support! I really appreciate you all so much. Please continue to review and check in!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	14. Chapter 14

He shifted slowly in the plush bed, trying to cling closely to the soft figure underneath him as well as the last dregs of sleep threatening to leave his body. Freddie held his eyes shut and buried his nose in the crevice between his fiancé's shoulder and neck. Smiling at their changed positions so that now she was protectively cradling him, he placed a gentle, fleeting kiss just at her collarbone and tangled his legs with hers a little more closely. Though he was certain she remained asleep, he heard a contented sigh from her direction. Opening his eyes just a little more, he gently squeezed her torso, knowing that she was close to waking up.

"G'morning, beautiful," he greeted. Looking up towards her face, he was happy to see a peaceful smile on her face, despite her closed eyes.

"How long've you been awake?" she asked groggily.

Freddie smiled. "_Hours_," he replied teasingly which, to his delight, elicited a throaty giggle from his fiancé. He quickly untucked himself from her side and mounted her sleepy form, scooping her up in his arms and peppering her face with tiny kisses.

"Y'know," he started in between kisses, "I've been thinking about this whole 'no seeing each other after the rehearsal dinner until the wedding' thing."

"I bet you have," Carly retorted with a roll of her eyes. As she affectionately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and toyed with the hairs at the nape of his neck, she thought of how much she missed their playful morning banter.

"When you think about it," Freddie continued, undeterred, "nothing about this wedding has been traditional thus far, which I think is something we should really be proud of."

"You're absolutely right, sweetheart. We've definitely snubbed tradition on most things regarding the wedding," Carly agreed, beginning to regain her voice. "Which is why we agreed to hold on to this one, tiny custom. You promised. Don't cave."

Freddie sighed dramatically as he touched his forehead to his future wife's. "That's over nineteen hours-"

"Versus a lifetime together," Carly interrupted sweetly. "It'll be fine, Freddie, I promise."

Freddie smiled at the thought of spending a lifetime with the only woman he's ever truly loved. He wished that 12-year-old Freddie was here to listen to Carly devote her life to him. For the time being, it was more than enough.

"You're right, baby," he surrendered. "We still have the morning," he took a moment to kiss her temple, "along with the afternoon just until parents arrive," he broke again to kiss the spot just under her ear, which drew a satisfied sigh from the brunette, "and between you and me, I plan on stealing you away sometime during the rehearsal dinner and doing some really, really dirty and shameful things to you."

"Dirty, you say?" Carly challenged cheekily.

"And shameful," Freddie added just before kissing her firmly on the lips for the first time that day. Freddie could feel, rather than hear, both of them hum in satisfaction. He was just about to settle in for what she thought would be a wholly satisfying morning romp when Freddie's phone went off with an obnoxiously loud ring to the tune of the Twilight Zone theme song. Freddie pulled away with an audible smack of their lips and immediately groaned.

"That would be mom," he stated plainly.

"Of course," Carly sighed, though she kept an understanding smile. She reached over to the night stand, grabbing the phone and handing it to him. He took the phone and braced himself before picking it up.

"Hey, mom," he greeted, making a genuine effort.

"Oh, Freddie, I'm so glad you answered," Marissa Benson replied, seemingly relieved. "I tried calling you a couple times last night, but you didn't answer! I was planning on calling the Georgia police had you not picked up this morning."

Freddie suppressed a groan and rolled off Carly. "I'm sorry, mom, I had my bachelor party last night. To be honest, I haven't checked my phone since seven p.m. yesterday."

"Well, I'll have you know that I was very worried about you, mister," she continued. "I even switched my flight to an earlier one. I'm in Chicago now and about to board the connecting flight. I should be in Atlanta by 11:30."

Freddie's eyes widened in surprise then searched for the bedside clock, which read 8:22 a.m. Rubbing his eyes in frustration, he promised his mother that he would be at the airport to pick her up. Satisfied, she quickly ended the conversation in order to board her flight. Freddie turned his head and was met with a sympathetic look from Carly.

"When do you have to go get her?" she asked.

"Two hours, if I want to be there on time," he explained ruefully. The thought of leaving Carly earlier than expected made him sad, especially at the sight of her wonderfully tousled hair and the straps of her enticing lace lingerie.

"Well, that still gives us time to get cleaned up and get a good breakfast in you," she reasoned. She ran a hand through her tresses and peeled the covers off of her body, revealing the rest of her sexy undergarments and effectively reminding Freddie of the fun, intimate time they had the previous night. Once again, he dreaded the thought of having to leave his gorgeous fiancé in order to retrieve his mother, even though he was ultimately happy for the chance to see her. Carly walked over to Freddie's side of the bed and offered her hand.

"Shower?" she asked with an impish smile. Wordlessly, he grabbed her hand and hopped out of the bed excitedly.

After a (long) shower, the couple got dressed and exited the room to make their way downstairs. Almost instantly they heard female giggles floating from Dallas's room. Freddie raised his eyebrows curiously and nodded towards the room.

"Yeah, about that," he said, remembering the way Dallas leapt into Gibby's arms just before he and Carly broke away to talk privately. "You definitely have to fill me in about that. Gibby didn't say a word to us guys about it."

Carly snorted. "Dallas probably wouldn't have said anything had she not had all those cocktails."

They continued their journey down the stairs and could hear a pair of voices talking easily from the living room. Once it came into view, Freddie was surprised to find Sam and Owen sitting on the couch, facing each other and enjoying a quiet conversation. He noticed that they were both wearing the same clothes from last night and looking as if they did not get any sleep at all. Instead of looking miserable, however, Sam looked truly happy for the first time since arriving at the cabin. Freddie smiled at the sight and looked over Carly, who looked just as pleased.

"Good morning, you two," she piped in, interrupting their conversation.

Sam turning around and grinned at the couple. "Mornin' lovebirds. Busy day ahead."

"Yup," Freddie agreed. "I've got to go pick up my mom in an hour."

"Oh, gaaaaaahhhd," Sam groaned dramatically with a toss of her head. "Marissa 'Crazy Train' Benson."

"Hey, not fair," Freddie retorted defensively. "You haven't seen her in years!"

Sam raised an eyebrow challengingly. "And has she changed much?"

Freddie reluctantly mumbled "shut up" under his breath, knowing that his mother hadn't really changed much at all.

"Ms. Benson will be fine," Carly chimed in. "Just be on your best behavior, Sam."

Freddie thought it amazing that Carly was already back to having to reign her blonde friend in when just day ago they were all worried that they would never get the old Sam back. He was happy and genuinely concerned all at once.

Owen took a moment to look at his watch. "I better start heading back," he announced, appearing genuinely regretful of the fact. "I've got a long drive and I definitely want to get some sleep in before tonight's shift."

"But you haven't slept," Sam pointed out, confirming Freddie's earlier suspicions. "Are you sure it's safe to get on the road when you haven't had any sleep?"

"Yeah, Owen, maybe you should at least take a nap here before heading out," Carly offered.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'm not even that tired. I'll even grab a few Red Bulls before getting on the highway."

Sam narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but nodded in defeat. "'kay. But you have to call me once you make it back to your place. Just so I know you're safe."

"Promise," he agreed softly just before standing up and stretching. Sam got up to follow him as he made his way around the couch to say goodbye to Carly and Freddie properly.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Carly," Owen said as he gave her a friendly hug. Carly squeezed him back.

"Same to you, Owen!" she agreed just before letting him go. Owen then stuck his hand out for Freddie to shake.

"Thanks again for last night, Freddie."

"Remember what I said about the wedding!" Freddie reminded him with a point. "I was serious. We'd love to have you tomorrow."

Owen turned to Sam for a moment, then back to Freddie. "That's really awesome of you guys." He turned again to Sam. "I would love to come," he continued while keeping his focus on Sam, "but it would be weird, I think, to show up to such a nice event without a date."

Freddie knew better than to correct him and tell him that a date was hardly necessary. Owen was obviously trying to bait Sam.

"Is that so?" Sam prodded, trying (and failing) to hide the smile threatening to escape.

Owen shrugged and matched her smile. "I think so."

After a brief pause, Sam sighed and shook her head. "Be here tomorrow at three, you dork."

"Will do," Owen laughed. He turned to Freddie and Carly once more and waved. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He then turned back to Sam and leaned down, placing a simple, chaste kiss on her cheek. "I'll call you as soon as I get home," he promised again in a low tone.

"You better," Sam commanded. With that, Owen turned around and exited the home. Sam closed the door after the guest left and leaned against it with a sigh.

Freddie felt his hand being tugged on by Carly, who lead him to the kitchen.

"As soon as Freddie leaves for the airport," she shouted over her shoulder. "You are filling me in on every little detail, missy!"

"I wanna know what happened, too!" Freddie whined.

"Hush, you," Carly admonished with a smile.

* * *

><p>As he waited for his mother to appear at the curb of the Trans Air pick-up area, Freddie felt an odd mixture of excitement and dread. He was, of course, always happy to see his mother. Furthermore, her arrival would bring a sense of reality to the fact that he and Carly were finally getting married. Still, there was the inevitable quirky, sometimes suffocating behavior that he knew to look forward to, as well. He also expected a small guilt trip about his decision to elope that he just <em>knew<em> she was waiting to deliver in person. Freddie hoped that all of her anxieties, doubts, and general uneasiness could be aired and settled within the hour car ride back to the cabin.

He was parked in the waiting area for less than twenty minutes when he saw Marissa Benson step from the exit just ahead of the car and look wildly for her ride. He quickly opened the door and hopped out before she could stray too far.

"Over here, mom!" he called, waving his hands for her to see. Marissa quickly spotted her son and made her way busily to his rental car. He met her at the trunk and took her things from her while leaning in to give her a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh, Freddie, I'm so happy to see you!" she cried excitedly. She couldn't resist pinching his cheek, at which he laughed fondly. Freddie marveled at how well his mother had aged. She looked exactly the same as she did ten years ago, only she had allowed her hair to grow slightly longer than usual and, these days, often pulled it back into a sensible low ponytail.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Mom," he assured her. "Did you have a decent trip?"

"Well it was the strangest thing," she began, watching Freddie place her moderate-sized suitcase in the trunk. "On the flight from Chicago to here I was upgraded to Business Class at no charge, for no reason at all!"

Freddie escorted her to the passenger's side of the vehicle and opened the door for her. "That's cool, mom! Did they tell you why?"

"Not really," she replied, knitting her eyebrows as she attempted to make sense of the gesture. "I was explaining to the woman across from me just why it was so unsanitary to have her feet on the ground out of their slippers just after I had spoken to the gentleman in front of me about chewing with his mouth open when a flight attendant approached me and told me that my fellow passengers recommended to the Captain that I be moved upward!" she explained. Freddie had a feeling that she had probably 'advised' a number of other passengers before she had, essentially, been kicked out of coach. "It was so nice!"

"Well, that is quite the stroke of luck," Freddie inserted wryly.

"They give you cookies and wine!" she gushed. He shut her door and reentered the car on the driver's side.

"Well, I'm glad you had an enjoyable flight. Do you need anything?"

Ms. Benson nodded slightly. "I would love to stop for some coffee and catch up for a moment, just you and I."

"We can certainly do that, mom," he replied kindly, happy for the quality time. They drove for a few minutes until they reached Downtown Atlanta, where he was sure they would find a Skybucks or some other nice café. They stopped at a bistro called 'Le Bean,' where they ordered espressos and small pastries before selecting a seat outside.

"So," Ms. Benson sighed as she settled in her seat. "This wedding tomorrow…"

The way she trailed off gave Freddie the idea that she was gearing up for a protest. He figured that the best way to move forward was to nip it in the bud now.

"Mom," he addressed her firmly. "Before you start, there's no changing my mind. Carly and I are getting married and whether you like it or not, it's going to be the best day of both of our lives. So deal, okay?"

The middle-aged woman looked genuinely shocked, and slightly hurt, by his defensive tone. "Fredward Benson, I can't _believe _you would even _think _that I would be so _callous_ as to fly all the way out here just to try to convince you to _not get married_!" she scolded, much to the entertainment of the surrounding patrons. "That would be absolutely terrible. How lowly do you think of me?

He had not prepared for this particular guilt trip. Worse yet, he had completely earned this one. In hindsight, he realized that he should have waited until she had actually protested before going on the defensive.

"I'm sorry about that, mom," he apologized. "It's just that you haven't been all that keen about us getting married to begin with. I thought the eloping aspect may have finally tipped you over the edge. You can't tell me that you haven't at least _thought _about trying to convince me to not get married."

Ms. Benson nearly choked on her beverage before replying with an exaggerated "Of course, I've secretly thought about trying to convince you to not get married. Goodness, I must have practiced my spiel upwards of fifty times on the ride from Seattle to Chicago, alone!"

"See!" Freddie exclaimed, feeling slightly vindicated.

Ms. Benson stuck her hand up before he could get too far. "That, young man, has nothing to do with Carly. It's entirely due to the fact that I'm your mother and, if it were up to me, you'd remain my little boy forever. And _yes_, I know just how crazy that sounds and I could give a flip. It's the truth."

It wasn't a shocking revelation for Freddie to hear. Still, he was surprised that her reluctance didn't involve a dislike for Carly, as he had secretly suspected for years.

"Freddie," she continued, placing down her cup of coffee and folding her hands together patiently, "for eighteen years I have raised you, having to play the role of both your mother and your father, mainly because the man that was _supposed_ to step in as one of those figures decided to focus on…other things."

Her last two words were spoken with a passive bitterness that left Freddie with a certain chill. This was a conversation they had never had, in compliance with some unspoken agreement between them: she would never bring him up and he would never ask questions about him. The one time he did was when he was seven, and the harsh tears she had cried were enough to dissuade him from ever broaching that subject again. Fore the first time that he could remember, she was bringing up the subject of his father all on her own.

"It was a challenge, absolutely," she went on with a nod of her head, "but even if single motherhood was not my first choice, I am so lucky for the opportunity to raise you. All of my hard work, sacrifice, tears, worries, and nurturing have more than paid off. You are an incredible gentleman."

He felt compelled to come around the table and give her the biggest hug, but he knew she had more to say. Instead, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his, willing her to go on.

"Freddie, I'm not oblivious. I know I babied you and was incredibly overprotective of you when you were growing up. I wanted so badly to protect you from everything, no matter how big or how small, because I didn't want you to ever feel like you were missing out on something by having only one parent. No matter what came your way, I wanted to be everything you ever needed."

Freddie's eyes widened, surprised by his own understanding. It all made sense. The nagging, the constant clucking after him, the seemingly insane need to be wholly involved in his life…he understood it. He hated it then, but he was almost appreciative of it now. Now, this newfound clarity brought on a new brand of guilt.

"Mom, I hope I never made you feel like I didn't need you," he said in a low, apologetic voice, "or that I hated everything you did for me."

"There were times when I did, but hey," she said with a shrug and a squeeze of his hand, "all parents feel that way a time or two while rearing. It's all a part of raising kids. We can't expect you all to understand why we do everything we do when you're only thirteen. There's a lot of things you simply won't understand until you have children of your own. Like now, for instance. This wedding is going to be the most eye-opening day for me, just as it's going to be the most important day of your life."

"Eye-opening?" Freddie asked.

Ms. Benson nodded sadly. "It'll mark the day that my little boy will stand in front of everyone he holds near and dear and not only pledge his love and loyalty to another woman, but express his _need_ of her. This woman, your wife, will now be the woman that you need, first and foremost, and she's going to be the one to fill a major void that I simply can't. That's a tough pill for any parent to swallow and since I had to play the role of two parents, it's doubly hard for me."

She choked on the last words as she fought back tears. Freddie didn't bother to stop the tear that had escaped down his right cheek. While he couldn't say that he completely sympathized with her pain, he suspected he would once him and Carly had their own children. He hadn't thought of how hard this might be for her, made only harder by them eloping.

"But that doesn't mean," she continued with a new determination, "that I'm not incredibly happy for you and Carly. And that certainly doesn't mean that I don't like her. In fact, I couldn't be happier with your choice in a mate. Any mother would love for their son to choose a woman whom she has seen grow up with her own eyes. Still, if given the choice, I would choose for you to remain a little boy and for me to be the only woman in your life. Does that make sense?"

Instead of answering, Freddie decided that this would be the perfect moment to rise from his seat and give his mother a big hug. She hugged him back with great force as she sniffled in his ear.

"Love you, mom," Freddie mumbled hoarsely. He wished he could say more, but that was all he could manage at the moment.

"I love you, honey," Marissa replied wistfully. "And I am so happy to be here."

After just a moment longer, Freddie slowly broke away to compose himself. " Can you do me a small favor?"

"Anything, sweetheart."

"When you get a chance, can you tell Carly what you told me? At least the bit about you liking her? I think it would lift a huge weight off her shoulders."

His mother paused a moment, as if she had to think about the request. She allowed a small smile to escape before answering with a solid "of course."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** If you can believe it, this tidbit has been sitting in my computer since MID-MAY. I kid you not. Of course, I intended for this chapter to be much longer, but the second half of this chapter has been the very thing keeping me from posting. I decided to post what I had as a way of showing you all that I have not forgotten about this story and I have every intention of wrapping it up. Life has gotten much more interesting since we last left off: I was summoned to beta-read a novel for a friend (absolutely torturous) and my husband and I have learned that we're expecting our first kid in December! Yup, were pretty psyched. :o)

I want to thank those who have continued to follow iHit the Open Road II, despite the unintentionally long hiatus! I received some very kind reviews and messages in the meantime and I truly appreciate it. I hope you all remain patient with me as I get to the final chapters. I've missed you all! I hope everyone is doing well and I would looooooove it if you took a moment to leave a review. If not, no worries - you're still greatly appreciated. :-D

Hollaatchyagirl,

Phunky


	15. Chapter 15

Carly didn't wait for her father to politely knock on the door. At the sound of the rented luxury SUV's shutting door, she immediately ran outside to greet Colonel Steven Shay enthusiastically. The man with bright eyes, chiseled jaw line, and gently graying hair positively glowed at the sight of her.

"I can't believe you're here, dad!" she cried as she leapt into his arms, which were wide open and awaiting her animated welcome.

His boisterous, rich laugh filled the air as he swung her about, just as he did when she was younger. "Like I would miss this for anything in the world, snug bug."

Carly immediately pulled back and smiled. "I can't believe I'm about to get married and you can still manage to call me 'snug bug.'"

"You're always going to be my snug bug," he said as he set her down. She marveled at how little he had changed over the years.

"Do you need any help with your bags?"

"No need, sweetheart," he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he steered them in the direction of the cabin. "I found a great hotel not to far from here to stay for the next two nights. I'm just happy that we get to have a little bit of time to ourselves before I have to give you away forever."

Carly pouted at the idea of being "given away." Something about the term made her feel more like an unwanted puppy rather than a person.

"You don't have to make it sounds so gloomy, dad," she said. "I'm still going to be the same person, even after I say 'I do.'"

Steven smiled at his daughter warmly. "No, you're not, honey, but that's alright. It's just a natural part of life."

Carly wanted to argue the notion of her suddenly changing, but she chose to drop it. She was just thrilled to have him next to her.

"I've missed you so much," she sighed, tightening the arm wrapped around her father's midsection.

"Missed you, too, Carly."

They stepped inside the house in time to catch Spencer on his way to the kitchen in his Snoopy pajamas. His expression at the sight of his father was a mixture of excitement and embarrassment.

"Poppa! Heeeey!" Spencer greeted.

"Pajamas, Spencer? In the afternoon?" Steven inquired disapprovingly. "You were taught better manners than that."

There was a cold silence amongst the three Shays, then the two men burst into boisterous laughter before coming together in a warm, familial hug.

"Good to see you, Dad," Spencer said, clasping his father's back.

"And it's nice to see that not much has changed with you, Spencer," Steven replied as they broke apart. "By the way, I got the pictures of your sculpture in the Seattle aquarium. That is really something!"

"See?!" Spencer squealed happily. "I told you that dropping out of law school was a great idea!"

Steven's face remained jovial, but took on a hint of skepticism. "If I remember correctly, you didn't _tell_ me anything. I'd still think you were studying for the bar exam had your grandfather not slipped and told me about that art show you were in."

Spencer grimaced, and Carly could have sworn she heard him mumble "old coot" under his breath. She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing too loudly. Instead, she interjected in order to help her brother out.

"Dad, Spencer's actually been pretty successful lately," Carly said informatively. "Not only did the aquarium buy one of his sculptures, the gallery in downtown wants to put up a full exhibit of his work in the fall and he was recently a featured artist on Wake Up, Seattle. People are buying his work left and right now!"

Steven turned to his son with pride. "Well, you won't be hearing any complaining from me," he replied with a squeeze of Spencer's shoulder. "I'm definitely proud of your progress, son."

Spencer looked very pleased. Though their father was never too hard on either of them, he always expected them to live up to their potential and it was still nice to get his approval, even well into their adulthood. He patted his dad on the back. "Thanks, old man."

"You're welcome," Steven responded kindly. "Now go put on some damn pants."

"Yes, sir." Spencer immediately about faced and went back to his room. Carly and Steven laughed while Carly lead him towards the stairs.

"Freddie's on the way back from picking up his mother and everyone is kind of all over the place," she explained. "Do you want a tour of the house?"

At that, Carly saw her father's eyes avert to the back door.

"Is that a nature trail?" he asked excitedly while pointing towards the back of the cabin, which Carly expected . His enthusiasm for nature hasn't waned since her and Spencer were children.

"It is!" she confirmed brightly. "Did you want to go on a walk?"

"That'll be great! While we're at it, we can catch up." Steven offered his elbow, on which Carly hooked her own arm as she guided him to the back of the cabin and through the door. They made their way down the deck, towards the trail and they both inhaled greedily. The fresh air in Gainesville was so different from the air in Seattle, which usually adopted smoky quality around this time of year. The air at the cabin, like the rest of the atmosphere, had such a calming quality that every breath she took felt like a cleanse. Carly felt a sudden rush of gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy something as simple as fresh air with her father, whom she had spent so much time apart from during her adolescence.

"Did I ever tell you that your mother and I first connected on a nature trail when we were in junior high?" Steven asked, gently breaking through his daughter's quiet moment of reflection.

"It was a school trip, right?"

Steven nodded. "She joined the Horticulture club and I had such a crush on her that I joined just to be closer to her, even though I had no interest in horticulture, whatsoever."

Carly laughed at the idea of her father suffering through tedious lectures about plants and flowers and feigning interest, just to be closer to a woman he was interested in. She always thought that she got her romantic side from her mother, but she was beginning to think that she possibly inherited it from her father.

"Dad, that sounds like something I would do," Carly teased.

Steven smiled and shrugged. "Well, it worked. She saw right through it, but it eventually worked."

Carly suddenly remembered that her father had a story to tell, per their phone conversation from days before.

"So is that the big story you wanted to tell me about you and mom?" she asked with a playful nudge of her shoulder. She looked up and met her father's twinkling eyes with her own. His face took on a whole new glow whenever he reminisced about her mother, his wife, a glow that rivaled that of the warm Georgia sunshine.

"No, that's just the beginning," he chuckled. "Your mother was a clever one. She knew that I wasn't actually interested in plant life, even though I _refused_ to admit it. So when the Horticulture club adjourned during the winter months, she joined a club for porcelain doll enthusiasts."

"I thought you said that mom always found porcelain dolls creepy!" Carly exclaimed in surprise.

"She did!" Steven affirmed. "She joined as a test to see if I would follow…and I did. To this day I think I am the only male to have ever joined that club in Grover Cleveland Junior High history." They both had a laugh at that as they passed a cluster of bushes with beautiful blue flowers. "We laughed about it and eventually started dating once we started high school. She was the only girl I knew who wasn't afraid of getting dirty, whether she was playing in dirt with the Horticulture club or playing softball, yet was still so feminine and bragged often about how 'girly' she was."

Carly was certain that she had gotten **that **from her mother. She prided herself on her many girlish aspects and never so much as flinched when Sam would tease her for being a "daffodil."

"We were together for years and by the time we were seventeen I just knew that she was the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with her. When I mentioned the possibility of us getting married to my parents they, naturally, got pretty upset. Now don't get me wrong, your grandparents adored your mother from the start -"

"-but they didn't adore the idea of their seventeen-year-old son running off and getting married before getting fitted for his graduation cap. I get it, dad."

"Right," he nodded. "Well, you're reacting much more reasonably than I did. I just couldn't understand how they could like my girlfriend so much, yet try to keep me from making her my wife. Your mother was very sweet about the whole thing, but there was no reasoning with me. I was livid."

Carly had a hard time imagining her father truly angry, but she understood that love had ways of bringing out emotional extremes in almost everyone.

"Well, I'm sure it was annoying to deal with then, but you obviously respected their position to some extent. You didn't marry mom until years after that."

Carly silently awaited confirmation from her father. When it never came, she looked up at him once more. He wore an expression of someone who was (joyfully) withholding information.

"You did," she insisted. "Dad, the picture of you in your formals and mom in her dress with Spence in his little ring bearer tux…"

Steven stopped them from walking to pull out his wallet from his back pocket.

"I wanted to show you something," he said as he rifled through the billfold. He pulled out a folded Polaroid photograph a moment later and handed it to his daughter. Carly eagerly took the photo and unfolded it, revealing a faded picture of a teenage boy, her father, standing behind a teenage girl with his arms lovingly wrapped around her. The girl in the picture had long dark hair and dimples just like her, but had a softer, more feminine version of Spencer's face. She stood in her jeans and purple striped shirt, holding a modest bouquet of carnations and baby's breath. Between the happy tears in the girl's eyes and the boy's face-splitting smile, the couple looked overjoyed. They stood between two flags - the American flag and the California state flag - and under a circular bronze plaque that looked like the state seal.

Carly always felt waves of different emotions whenever she looked at pictures of her mother. She had never seen this particular photo before and while she always looked gorgeous, the happiness that she exuded here made her beauty breath-taking. Carly felt grateful that there was a camera around to capture such a wonderful moment, yet sad that she wasn't around to experience the moment herself. Most of all, Carly felt that little piece of her that always ached whenever she was reminded of her mother. She missed her very much.

"This is a picture of our real wedding," Steven explained before Carly could ask.

Carly furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "How? The other picture -"

"- is a picture from our second, more formal ceremony," Steven clarified. "This, however, is from our first wedding. Our real wedding." He peered down at the photograph fondly and pointed at the flag. "As you've probably guessed, we ran off to California."

"Mom's idea?" Carly guessed with a laugh, though she was still surprised by this new information.

"Nope, all me," he replied. "After a long argument with your grandparents about wanting to get married I stormed out, hopped in my car, and drove to your mother's house. It was cold, it was raining, and it was late, but I didn't care. I just had to see your mother."

Carly always enjoyed watching her father talk about her mother after all these years. It was clear that he still loved her very much and while he never vocally opposed dating again, she could tell that he would always form that comparison in his mind. Who could ever come close to Taylor Shay?

"I crept to her window and threw pebbles at it, which she _hated_," he emphasized with a laugh, "until she snuck outside. As soon as she came around to where I was, I dropped to one knee and proposed with a plastic ring that was a prize from a cereal box. She laughed - your mother had a gorgeous laugh - and said yes. The next week on her eighteenth birthday I waited for her after school and told her that I was taking her to Guidano's for a birthday dinner. Instead, I drove her to San Diego for a surprise wedding."

"Wait, you kidnapped mom?!" Carly screeched.

"In a way, yes," Steven slowly nodded. "But she loved it. She'd always mentioned wanting to visit the San Diego zoo and get married in California, and all I wanted to do was be able to give her those things. I didn't mind dealing with the wrath of our parents and she didn't mind doing something a little crazy in lieu of some extravagant wedding. We just…did what we wanted to do, what felt right to us.

"That's why I always laugh when you tell the story of you and Freddie, because he reminds me so much of myself when I was with your mother - right down to the part when he packed up all your stuff and dragged you on that trip to Florida kicking and screaming. My only goals at the time were to make your mother happy and to be with her forever, and I can tell that those are Freddie's only concerns at the moment, as well. He loves you, no question."

Carly smiled and looked down at the picture again. They did look truly happy.

"If I had to guess," Steven continued slowly, "you were pulling your hair out and losing sleep over this wedding."

"A little bit, yeah," Carly replied. "Freddie thought that getting away would help us refocus on each other."

Steven nodded with a unique understanding. "He's a good man. No father is ever going to totally like the idea of handing his daughter's heart over to another man, but if there has to be a man to take my place as the most important man in your life, then I'm honored to relinquish my spot to Freddie." He took another look at the Polaroid and pointed to his wife. "Any man that can make you look as happy as your mother did here, gets it."

Carly closed her eyes and briefly held the picture close to heart just before pulling her father into a warm hug. They stood in the middle of the nature trail for a while, hugging and silently remembering Taylor Shay.

"I miss her, dad," Carly confessed, on the verge of tears as her head remained on a comfortable spot on his shoulders. "She was lucky to have found you."

Steven choked out a brusque laugh. "No, honey, _I_ was the lucky one." Carly thought she heard him sniffle, but by the time they pulled apart he appeared to have collected himself. She continued to hold on to the picture as they resumed their leisurely trek down the trail.

"So," Carly exclaimed brightly, "are you ever going to consider dating again?"

Her father gave a slight wince. "Believe it or not, I tried. These days I only attract crazy women."

"I'm sure that's not true!"

"It is! The last date I tried to go on, the women showed up at the door with a sock puppet!"

Carly laughed so hard that she had to stop walking in order to catch her breath. Steven helped her stand upright and they both continued down the path, trading dating horror stories and treasuring each other's company.

* * *

><p>Carly and Steven returned to the house an hour later to find Spencer chatting in the kitchen with Sam, who appeared to have just woken up from a nap, Taryn and Jax. Sam greeted Steven with a brief hug and introduced him to Jax and Taryn. Jax shook his hand enthusiastically and proudly informed him that both of his parents were also retired Air Force veterans. As they settled into a long conversation, Carly dragged Sam out of the kitchen and into Sam's room.<p>

"Don't think I've forgotten all about you spending _all night _with Owen," Carly cooed before Sam could ask anything. She sat in the middle of Sam's bed and crossed her legs. "Tell me everything."

Sam sighed and dropped onto the bed, laying back and staring at the ceiling. "I promise you, all we did was talk," she paused, then added "and talked…and talked some more."

Carly squinted her eyes at her friend, expecting to hear of much more than talking. "Seriously? You two just talked all night?"

"Geez, Carls, what did you expect to hear, that I mauled him in the middle of the living room?"

"Nooo," Carly shook her head carefully, "but for two people in love and reconciling after years of nothing, I would have expected…I don't know, a heated kiss, a passionate hug…a handshake, _something_."

Sam sat up and looked Carly in the eye. "Okay, first of all, a lot's happened since we split, I can't just pick up right where I left off."

Carly made to protest that point, but Sam held up her hand and continued. "Secondly, it was nice for us to just talk and really catch up without all the Wes drama looming over us. And after everything that's happened I really just want to know what it's like to have a guy that's just as interested in being my friend as he is being my boyfriend. Wes didn't think that it was necessary for people who were dating to also be friends. It feels good to be around a nice guy again."

Carly felt happy and sad for her friend all at once. Knowing Freddie for a majority of her life made her forget how truly special it was to come across a nice guy that seemed genuinely interested in you. Though she was thankful to have Wesley out of Sam's life for good, it made her resent all the time Sam wasted with him.

"So you and him are just friends for now?" Carly asked.

"For now," Sam replied with a small smile. "But hey, you never know what could happen tomorrow or the day after that…"

The women looked at each other for a moment before dissolving into a giggling heap on the bed.

"Well, what are you going to do if he shows up tomorrow, all suited up and dapper?" Carly pressed through her laughter. "Shake his hand?"

"Oh, God," Sam groaned at the thought. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Probably die, or drown myself in fried chicken and tears."

Sam fell back against the bed and Carly followed suit, both focusing on the ceiling.

"Is there any way we can just stay here and refuse to grow up? Just stay here and giggle over boys?"

"I think you and Freddiekins getting married kind of puts a major hitch in that idea, cupcake," Sam reasoned.

"Yeah, I know," Carly replied with a smile. She turned her head to look at her friend. "I've missed this, though."

Sam smiled and looked back at Carly. "Me too."

They both heard the front door open and Freddie's voice yell "Hola!" followed by the sound of Marissa Benson audibly admiring the house.

"You better go out there and greet your mother-in-law, Shay," Sam teasingly suggested. "Or you can hide out here with me."

Carly thought about it for a moment, then sat up with great effort. "No, I better go face the music." She stood up and turned to Sam with her hand out. "You too, Puckett."

"Says who?!" Sam argued. "I'm not the one marrying her son!"

"Come out here with me and be nice!" Carly commanded

"Oh, fine," the blonde conceded with an eye roll as she allowed her friend to help her off the bed. "But the minute she says something off the wall, I'm hiding away until the wedding."

They both exited the room to find Steven saying hello to the Bensons. Just as he finished shaking Freddie's hand, Freddie introduced him to his mother.

"Steven, this is my mom, Marissa. Mom, this is Carly's father, Steven."

Marissa held out her hand and gave Steven a smile that Carly considered a little flirtatious. "My, you are quite handsome! You look just like a younger Tom Selleck, but without the mustache." She then leaned in and questioned in a lower voice, "Would you oppose the idea of growing a mustache?"

Appearing to be mortified, Freddie pulled his mother away from Carly's father. "Please pardon my mother. She gets a little crazy whenever she has espresso."

Steven looked Carly and mouthed "Told you, crazy women," which almost made Carly laugh out loud.

Carly watched Freddie lead his mother in her direction and steeled herself for some sort of awkward, one-sided battle. Simply knowing that Ms. Benson disapproved of their elopement from afar was one thing, having to actually face her disapproval head-on was another. Now that she was actually here, Carly felt nervous beyond measure and the last thing she wanted was to get into an argument with her almost-mother-in-law the day before the wedding.

To her surprise, however, Marissa stepped ahead of her son and the look on her face was not venomous, but pleasant…excited, even. She reached out and took Carly's hands into her own, then leaned forward and kissed her right cheek, then her left.

"It is so great to see you, Carly," Marissa said. "You must be excited about tomorrow!"

"Uhh," Carly froze, unsure if this was a trap of some sort. "Of course! Yeah, I'm really excited!"

"Well, I'm quite excited, too," Marissa replied, looking sincere. "Carly, you are going to make a gorgeous bride and I, for one, cannot wait for you to be an official member of our family."

Carly beamed at Marissa, then gave her a hug. She looked over Marissa's shoulder at Freddie, searching for an explanation for her sudden change of heart. All Freddie did was smile serenely as he mouthed "I love you." While it wasn't quite an explanation, Carly still felt completely satisfied with that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** **I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! Thank you to those who have been patient with this story and have remained supportive! You are all noticed and very appreciated! Please don't be shy and leave a review, if you can. **

**Be good and Hollaatchyagirl,  
><strong>

**Phunky  
><strong>


	16. Chapter 16

"Everything awful that can happen, is _going_ to happen. Everything is going to fall apart."

It was not the mantra that she ever imagined adopting on her wedding day, of all days, but it was the only logical summation Carly could reach after waking up to a kaleidoscope of emotions - all of which came to a screeching halt after a certain frightening realization: she, a self proclaimed "control freak," was about to be the bride in a wedding that she had no hand in planning. She had only met the man who would solidify their union, a gentle, elderly pastor from a local church whom Freddie had met on his company retreat, the day prior at the rehearsal. She had no knowledge regarding the DJ, or if there would even be music at all today. She hadn't chosen the cake, the photographer, the caterer, her bouquet, nor even a single centerpiece. All she had control of were her dress and the wedding party, but she wasn't sure if that would be enough to quell her worries.

'_Everything awful that can happen, is _going_ to happen. Everything is going to fall apart.'_

Carly didn't bother to voice the sentiment for a second time, choosing to spare the obligatory consoling from Sam. Making peace with the inevitable, she decided, was the best way to deal with the upcoming disaster that would be her wedding. Friday morning had arrived and it had only taken Carly four minutes to go through a wide spectrum of emotions: she woke up elated, then felt nervous, deeply concerned, and eventually landed on anger towards herself. Why did she ever think eloping and remaining mostly hands-off with the planning process were good ideas?

'_It _could_ go well, you know_,' a tiny, hopeful voice dared to sound in the back of her head. It served as a momentary source of comfort, but Carly refused herself even that much.

"Everything awful that can happen, is _going_ to happen. Everything is going to fall apart," she repeated resolutely, as if to drown out all hope that managed to intrude her cabin room.

"Oh my GAAAAAAAH," Sam groaned deeply, rising dramatically from her corner of the bed and neglecting the thick tendril of hair that escaped her sloppy bun and landed in her mouth. Her eyes were narrowed in a mixture of residual sleepiness and annoyance. "Will you STOP being the downest of Debbies, please? I thought waking up to an exceedingly chipper disposition would be annoying, but this is so much worse!"

At that moment, a loud snore filled the room from the other corner of the bed. Though her face could not be seen as she faced the east wall, Taryn's fit frame swelled to accompany the blaring sounds that were coming from her mouth. Carly was shocked that such a grisly sound could come from such a petite package.

"Well," Sam considered, grabbing the nearest pillow while entranced by the noise, "maybe there are worst things." She then lobbed the pillow directly at Taryn's head. The contact caused her to lazily stir and turn her head toward Carly. Her exhaustion kept her from addressing the assault, but she gathered all the energy she could muster (which was not much) to greet Carly with a very sleepy, yet cheerful, "Happy Wedding Daaaay…"

Carly snorted and simply replied, "More like 'Messy Wedding Day.' Everything is going to be a mess." She fixed her gaze forward, right between her two friends and on the entertainment center before her. "I know nothing about my own wedding. There's no way for me to follow-up on anything because I don't know what or who to follow in the first place! I'm not even sure - "

She was interrupted by an abrupt pillow to the face.

"How many pillows, cupcake," Sam asked in deathly tone. "How many pillows to the head will it take for you to believe me when I tell you that we have it covered?"

"Sam, I am COMPLETELY IN THE DARK!" Carly yelled, slightly irritated by the hit.

"Because you're SUPPOSED TO BE!" Sam replied with equal volume.

"Uh, NO I'M NOT!"

"Good moooooorning!" Dallas entered the room, unbeknownst to the shouting friends. Her sing-songlike greeting held a greater meaning for Sam and affectively repulsed her.

"Eeeeeew, sneaking out of the room in the middle of the night, you creep-o?" Sam pressed. "You couldn't keep it in your pants for one night?"

Dallas refused to be shaken. "I'll have you know that I stayed in this room all night and only left an hour ago." She crossed the room and joined all the ladies on a free spot on the bed. "And it wasn't all pleasure, it was actually mostly business."

Taryn propped her head on her raised hand and looked devilishly toward to long-time friend. "But there was _some_ pleasure."

Aside from an eye roll, Dallas ignored Taryn and continued with her original point. "Gibby and I will be your coordinators for today. Let Heaven's angels hear me, you and Freddie _will not _see each other in this house before it's time."

Carly gave her a small, sad smile. "Dallas, that's sweet, but this whole thing -"

"-is going to be flawless," Dallas finished simply, placing a caring hand on Carly's exposed arm. "_Flawless_. Trust me, we've all got this."

Carly looked around the room at her friends, her bridesmaids and maid-of-honor. She took a moment to really take them in. They were calm, tranquil even. None of them looked the least bit worried. For the first time that morning, she felt like she could afford to be a little calmer herself.

"It's going to be fine, right?" she asked in a small voice.

Sam smiled and nodded. She flipped herself around so that she was lying right next to Carly and cuddled up to her side. Taryn followed suit on the other side and Dallas got more comfortable up the center of the bed.

"Today is going to be so beautiful," Taryn said dreamily. "It might even inspire me and Jax to redo our wedding! Carly, you are going to be such a stunning bride."

"And we are going to party like crazy," Sam promised. "You're going to look a hot mess by the end of the night and I cannot wait."

Carly giggled and kept back any tears that threatened to escape. Though the day was sure to be a very busy one, she laid back and allowed herself to be consumed with the warmth of her friends.

"Today is going to be fabulous, no matter what," Carly said with a deep exhale.

"Yup," Sam replied, yawning. "Now can it so we can all go back to sleep."

"No, Sam." Carly pinched Sam on the arm and sat up, ready to get started.

Dallas leapt to her feet to block the door.

"No, ma'am. No roaming around anywhere until I get the all-clear." When met with a look of disbelief, she added, "I'm serious."

* * *

><p>"You can't leave, bro," Jax said to an antsy, disheveled Freddie. He blocked the door alongside Gibby and both men had their arms crossed over their chests, firmly standing their ground.<p>

"Jax, I seriously have to pee and Spencer's been in the bathroom forever," Freddie whined.

"That sounded a lot like judgment!" Spencer shouted from behind a closed bathroom door.

Gibby shook his head while standing next to Jax. "I promised Dallas I wouldn't let you roam around…after a series of fairly terrifying threats on my private bits. Don't worry, Brad is bringing up some walkie talkies for us to use. He should be up any minute."

Freddie scoffed. "Nobody finds this excessive? Like, at all?"

"Weddings are excessive by nature and have all these nutso traditions," Jax shrugged. "That's why me and m'lady went to the courthouse."

Freddie was beginning to see some validity to skipping the pageantry, but he continued to remind himself that this was all for Carly. Still, there was a modicum of selfishness that made him wish that he could just push past Jax and Gibby and see Carly. He hadn't experienced nervousness up to this point. Now that he was physically unable to see his soon-to-be bride, he was extremely anxious. Is she excited? Does she have cold feet? What was she thinking right now? He was so used to simply rolling over and checking on her. Now all he could do was hope that she'd meet him at the alter.

He sighed and took a seat on the bed, praying that either the bathroom would soon become available or that Brad would arrive with the walkie talkies.

His prayer was immediately answered with a knock at the door. Jax moved out of the way while Gibby opened the door. Brad stepped in the room with a handheld radio protruding out of the pocket of his navy blue robe.

"Thanks, man," Gibby said graciously. He then furrowed eyebrows. "Hey, why do you have a walkie talkie -"

"No questions or I take 'em back," Brad interrupted flatly.

"Got it," Gibby conceded while holding out his hand, ready to receive the device. Brad took out the bright yellow radio and turned the dial until it clicked and the tiny green light at the top corner flashed on before handing it to him.

"Isabelle took the other radio to the girls and we've already tested it out, they work fine. There should be enough juice in these to last most of the day. You know how to use these, right?"

Gibby gave him a cocky smirk. "Anyone with a half decent childhood should know how to use these."

Brad snorted and directed his attention to Freddie, showing his excitment. "Big day!"

Freddie smiled big and nodded. "I don't think it's hit me yet. Probably because I reeeeally have to-"

The sound of a flushing toilet cut through Freddie's sentence, causing him to leap to his feet and rush to the door with a bang.

"Spencer, let me in!'

"CAN A MAN WASH HIS HANDS?!"

"I'M DYING OUT HERE!"

The sound of the faucet and hands rubbing together quickly followed, despite Freddie's urgency. The door finally opened (after thirty seconds of, what sounded like, Spencer casually inspecting the ornate hand towels), facing an awkward Spencer with a very annoyed Freddie. After a few seconds of tense silence, Spencer's expression became celebratory and a he cried, "Heeeey, you're getting married todaaaay!"

Freddie pushed Spencer out of the way and bombarded the bathroom, slamming the door in his wake.

Spencer faced the other men in the room and shook his head disapprovingly. "Rude."

* * *

><p>The next few hours were a blur. Carly vaguely registered Taryn and Isabelle helping all of the ladies with their hair, as well as Dallas busying herself with make-up and Sam supplying everyone with snacks and the occasional glass of wine (for which Carly was especially grateful). She was asked at least once every fifteen minutes whether or not she was feeling okay and each time she answered with a chipper "I'm fine" despite the increasingly weighty feeling at the pit of her stomach. She couldn't quite place the reason for her nerves - after all, she had no doubt that Freddie wanted to marry her - but she guessed that it was his absence and the added feeling of being immersed in the unknown. She hadn't a clue what Freddie was doing, how he was feeling, or whether or not he had the same nerves she did. Maybe, she thought, if she could find out at least that much then she'd feel a little better.<p>

"Maybe I should see him for just a second," Carly mumbled absent-mindedly to herself.

"NO!" the remaining girls shouted, making Carly jump just slightly.

"I don't know how much clearer I can make myself," Dallas added irritably, appearing in front of Carly in mere seconds. She planted one hand on her hip while she used the other to point at her authoritatively. "No looky-loos before 'I do!'"

Isabelle peered from behind Carly's head with a smile. "It doesn't looks like she's about to let up any time soon, mama. You might want to take her seriously. You want some more wine?"

Before Carly could reject Isabelle's offer her glass was already getting refilled by Sam. Carly put a hand on Sam's wrist as a signal for her to stop.

"SAM, no more, please!"

"Carly, you can either keep winding yourself up with anxiety or you can _relax_," Sam made sure to make direct eye contact with Carly while emphasizing the word, just before returning to her seat in front of Taryn and her teasing comb, "and enjoy your day. What happened to 'Today's going to be fabulous, no matter what'?"

"I still think it will be," Carly sighed while leaning down to place the glass of wine on the floor. "I'm okay, I'm just anxious, is all."

She sat up straight and tried to relax while Isabelle curled her long hair. Dallas had barely finished her own face before making her way to Sam with her make-up kit.

"Carly, honey, once you're done here, let me know," Dallas gently instructed while digging through her array of glosses. "I'll escort you up to my room, where your dress awaits. I'm so excited!"

Carly felt a small jolt of excitement shoot straight through her heart at the thought of her slipping on her dress, for it made her feel that much closer to walking down the aisle. Suddenly, the thought of her inching closer to the alter made her feel nervous once again. The sudden switch from excitement to fear made her stomach perform somersaults. If she didn't fear the possibility of her getting drunk before the ceremony she would have chugged her wine.

"Dallas, does the girl really need an escort?" Sam teased. "I think she knows how to get to her room, she's been here for a week."

Taryn gave a brief snort and dropped the comb onto the nearest surface. "Dallas takes her wedding coordinating veeery seriously."

"How would you know, Taryn?" Dallas fired back with an amused tone. "You robbed me of your's and Jax's wedding."

Taryn shrugged and continued fixing Sam's hair. "Remember your cousin's wedding? I believe you turned into a bridesmaid-zilla – your term, not mine –"

"-hey, if her coordinator hadn't been so incompetent –"

"-Unbelievable –"

"LADIES!" Carly hollered, bringing the bickering to an abrupt halt. She turned her head to face Dallas as much as she could while Isabelle continued curling her hair. "Dallas, I feel so honored that you're taking this day so seriously. It means a lot to me that you would go through such extreme measures to make sure everything is perfect."

Dallas smiled warmly Carly and blew a kiss in her direction. While Carly still felt a hint of inexplicable unease threatening to come to the surface, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, hoping to expel some of her nerves. She tried to return to her optimistic attitude from the morning.

* * *

><p>"Tell me you're joking, Spencer," Freddie demanded sternly, hoping that he was the victim of an ill-timed joke.<p>

Spencer shook his head apologetically as he toyed with his cell phone. "I wish I could, Freddie. The pastor made it clear that it was an emergency."

Freddie took a seat on the bed and rubbed his temples while breathing slowly. "Well, is he okay, at least?"

"Yeah, he's alright," Spencer nodded. "His wife had a small stroke last night, so he wants to remain by her side at the hospital."

"Well, it's hard to really blame him," Freddie reluctantly reasoned, "but that still leaves us in a really bad spot. What can we do?! We can't postpone the wedding!"

Freddie and Spencer turned their heads to the far corner of the room at the sound of someone clearing their throat very deliberately. There sat Gibby, cross-legged in his dress shirt, argyle socks, and boxers. With a smug, satisfied expression he continued, "Uuuh, what has two thumbs and is totally ordained for your most important of wedding needs?" He then delivered a confirmation by pointing both of his thumbs towards himself, his smile broadening.

Freddie's eyes widened in alarm. "What are you talking about, Gib?"

Gibby rolled his eyes and stood from his chair. "Dude, I definitely told you this already. On the phone when you first talked about eloping, remember?"

Freddie nodded his head cautiously as the memory slowly came to him. "Yeah, I remember, but –"

"-Before you say anything potentially offensive," Gibby interjected swiftly, "remember that you're really out of options at this point."

Freddie shut his eyes and sighed reluctantly. Gibby continued to push his point.

"Listen, I'm not the same teenage weirdo - not entirely, anyway. I'm a college graduate pursuing his master's degree; I think I can handle not acting like a total idiot during my friends' wedding."

At that, Freddie winced at his lack of confidence in his friend. He decided that Gibby was right: his options were low, if not non-existent. "I'm really sorry, man. This is all just coming as a surprise and…well, to be fair, I've never seen you officiate a wedding! I mean, is this going to be your first one?"

Gibby considered the question, then carefully countered, "Define 'first.'"

"Giiiiibbyyy-"

"Alright, alright, I get your apprehension," Gibby conceded. "But I've gotten the general gist from watching a lot of TV and romantic comedies. Trust me, I will be totally ready by the time you and Carly are ready to say 'I do.'"

When Freddie didn't answer immediately, Spencer stepped up and placed a comforting hand on Freddie's shoulder. Freddie turned to his soon-to-be brother-in-law and found a sympathetic grin on his face. "I think you should give him a chance, Fredd-o. You and Carly are going to be amongst family. There is literally nothing that Gibby could say to tarnish the beauty of today, although I have absolute faith that he will be alright."

Freddie took a moment to look at his two friends. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that both of them looked so calm or if they had managed to simply wear him down, but he suddenly felt much more comforted.

"Okay," Freddie breathed, allowing himself to smile ever so slightly, "you can marry us, Gib. Thanks a lot for stepping in."

Gibby pumped his fist in the air victoriously, then clapped Freddie's back. "I promise you won't regret it. I'm going to head to my room to and get to work. I'll see you soon."

Gibby started to exit the room, but not before turning around and mischievously proposing, "Or I could always improvise. How do you feel about Back to the Future quotes?"

"Seriously?!" Freddie cried

"Kidding!" Gibby surrendered gently, his hands raised in the air as he backed out of the room.

Freddie blew out a calming breath, then turned to Spencer. "I need to get the word out to Carly somehow before the ceremony or else she will flip."

Spencer snapped his fingers and replied "Dallas," with a point of his finger. "She can probably give her the news and keep her fairly calm. I can find her for you, if you want."

Freddie shook his head and grabbed his suit jacket. "It's fine, I've got to get out of this room, anyways. I'll look for her."

He slipped on his coat as he exited the room and headed in the direction of the staircase until he caught a glimpse of light from the crack of Dallas' door. He turned around and walked to the door, fixing his collar just in time to lightly knock on it.

"Hey, Dallas," Freddie called cheerfully, hoping his enthusiasm would somehow make the major change seem less serious. "There's been a slight hiccup that I need to talk to you about. No big deal, though, I just thought I'd give you a head's up and then, maybe, you could-"

"Freddie?"

The voice was so quiet that he was surprised that he could hear it at all, but its soft, kindly timbre was immediately recognizable and managed to accelerate his heartbeat – just as it had since they were twelve years old.

"Carls," he whispered excitedly, fearing that someone would hear him and pull him away. "Baby, it's so great to hear your voice!"

Freddie heard her allow a short giggle escape, which was enough to elicit a face-splitting grin.

"It hasn't been that long, Freddie."

"I know, but I miss you. Honestly, I'm just ready for us to be married. I'm ready for our life to start."

There was a long, telling pause that suddenly made Freddie very nervous. He moved closer and placed both hands on the door, as if he could will his hands to penetrate the wood and touch her. "What's wrong?" When he didn't immediately hear a reply he repeated a little louder, in panic, "Carly, what's wrong?"

There was still a short pause before she replied in a tone even softer than before, "What if I'm bad? What if I suck at being a wife?"

The insecurity and sadness in her voice rendered Freddie heartbroken. He decided that she needed him. "Tradition be damned," he mumbled to himself. He took a half a step back and straightened his spine with determination. "I'm coming in," he announced decidedly.

"NO! Dallas would kill us both!" Carly cried desperately.

"I could care less about that. Is the door unlocked?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Good, I'm coming in," he announced before turning the knob and opening the door.

There were a handful of times Freddie could recall the feeling of his breath had being knocked out of his body. He felt that the sight of Carly at this very moment easily surpassed all of those times by a long shot. There she stood in her wedding dress – a sleeveless, knee-length ivory ball gown made if satin and tulle with a silvery lace trim – and a pair of modest ivory flats. Her hair fell in large waves around her flawless face, which donned pastel-colored eye make-up and barely tinted lip gloss on her perfect, quizzical pout. A large white flower (which Freddie was able to identify as a lily, thanks to Carly's wedding notebook from the early planning stages) was tucked behind her right, diamond-studded ear and the striking contrast between her dark hair and its perfectly white petals was truly stunning. The natural tint in her checks (or was it blush? Freddie couldn't tell) seemed to bring out the shine in her big, brown eyes. Aside from her worried expression, she looked absolutely perfect. He suddenly regretted his plain white dress shirt and linen suit, feeling that it didn't do her justice.

"Carly," he uttered with a chocked voice. "I can't tell you how many times I've imagined you standing in front of me in a wedding dress."

A small smile quirked the corners of her mouth. "Yeah? How'd I do in comparison?"

All Freddie could do was shake his head in disbelief. "You? Absolutely incredible." He took a few steps forward and placed his hands on her waist. "My imagination is clearly limited." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her as he lightly kissed her forehead. He breathed her in and felt comforted by the familiar light scent of lavender and a hint of vanilla. "You're a masterpiece."

Carly draped her arms around his shoulders and planted a firm kiss on Freddie's warm lips. "I've missed you, too. I'm so glad you're here."

Freddie kissed her again just before pulling back to look her over with concern. "Hey, what's this about you worrying that you won't be a good wife? Where did this even come from?"

Carly sighed and stepped out of Freddie's embrace and let her hands slip down his arms until she was holding his fingertips. She sat on the edge of the bed and avoided eye contact.

"Freddie, after today the stakes will be so high," she began slowly, "and even though I know I've been a decent friends and girlfriend, being a wife is something totally different and DON'T try to convince me that it's all the same thing." Her fingertips found their way onto Freddie's lips in an attempt to prevent him from interrupting her. "It's NOT going to be the same because before today I've never had to make a vow in front of God and your mother that I'm going to be a good wife to you."

"What, did you have some sort of secret plan that involved you being a bad wife?" Freddie asked teasingly. "Do the witnesses spoil it all?"

Carly looked up and shook her head with a hint of a smile. "No, but –"

Freddie knelt in front of her and took her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to maintain eye contact with him. "Carls, we're not going to be perfect. That's the reality, okay? We're going to fight and our communication is going to be crap sometimes and we're not always going to be on the same page and trust me, that something that everyone out there - especially those who have been in a serious relationship of _any_ kind - will already know and understand, even my mom. We're not vowing to be perfect, babe. We're vowing to dedicate every effort, big or small, to each other. I will always want Carly Shay at her absolute worst over any other woman at her absolute best."

Freddie could see the moisture begin to pool around her bottom eyelids (which he hoped were caused by relief rather than sadness) and began to wipe the tears away before they had a chance to ruin her make-up.

"Freddie, I couldn't even manage to handle an important job offer the right way."

Freddie shrugged. "And I didn't really handle finding out the right way, neither. We both sucked a little this week, Carly, but we got past it."

Carly grabbed his hands and removed them from her face so she could deliver a skeptical gaze. "C'mon, you can't tell me that all of this doesn't scare you."

"Shitless," he replied with a laugh, making sure not to break eye contact. "I'm scared shitless, okay, but it's hard to let that overshadow the fact that today is the absolute best day of my life. Our first major move is going to be scary, our first kid, our first major family change…all of it is going to be terrifying and I want to experience every scary, intense, vomit-inducing, weird, beautiful moment with you. We've just got to get the small matter of today out of the way first, okay?"

As he whispered the last sentence, the smile on Carly's face continue to grow until it blossomed into the bright smile that Freddie fell in love with.

"We're getting married today," she stated, as if she were realizing it for the first time.

"That's the plan," Freddie smirked. "Are you okay with that?"

Carly let out a combination of a laugh and sob before grabbing her soon-to-be-husband's face and planting a hard, soul-stirring kiss on his lips. His hands gripped her waist as he fought the urge to pull her on top of him, not wanting to muss her hair or clothes for the sake of a passionate romp on the floor. Instead, he chose to kiss her with the same intensity as her. After a minute, Freddie reluctantly pulled away.

"Crap, your lip gloss," he hissed. "You definitely look like you've been making out."

Carly smiled wide. "No worries!" She reached into the front of her dress and pulled out a tube of shimmering pink gloss. "I'll reapply before anyone sees me. I think you might need to get out of here, though."

Freddie leaned in for one more quick, yet firm, kiss before rising to his feet and heading for the door. He turned around just as he touched the knob and gave her deep, loving look. "I love you, Mrs. Carly Benson. You are going to be a killer wife and I could not be luckier."

Carly bit her bottom lip, then her expression suddenly changed from glee to concern. "Hey, Freddie, what was the 'slight hiccup' that you mentioned earlier?"

At first Freddie didn't know what she was referring to, but he then remembered why he had gone looking for Dallas in the first place. He had not factored in the possibility of running into the very person he did not want to deliver the news of the pastor to personally. He took a moment to think before stepping forward and grabbing one of Carly's hands in both of his own.

"Carly, listen to me," he commanded in a kind, but firm voice. "As soon as you hit the aisle, just keep your eyes on me, okay? Just remember how much I love you, what the point of today is, and that no matter what, the day will end with you as my wife, okay? Everything else is simply a bonus."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously while pursing her lips. "What are you talking about?"

"It's not a big deal," Freddie answered in a light, easy-going tone. "We just had a slight change in officiators. It'll be fine, okay? Trust me."

He kissed her on the cheek then quickly exited the room, turned around to take one last look, then told her that he loved her one more time before closing the door and returning to his room. He missed Carly slowly exhale and say "As long as it's not Gibby" as she headed to the bathroom to fix her make-up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I would be shocked - SHOCKED - if anyone still looked into this story. Hahaha! However, in the event this update gets any undeserved attention from my readers of yesteryear, please accept my humblest apologies for staying away so long and my sincerest gratitude for taking the time to catch up. I won't bore you with excuses, but I will say that I did not feel right about thinking about other projects without wrapping this story up first. These characters deserve at least that much, I think.**

**The final chapter of this story will follow this one. Please leave a review, because I would love, love, love to hear from you. **

**I hope you are all doing so, so well and Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	17. Chapter 17 & Epilogue

Nothing felt quite as official until she was standing with her father in the kitchen, waiting for the procession to make its way outside. Even after seeing Freddie in his tux and a receiving a pep talk from each and every one of her girlfriends, it didn't feel like anything was truly happening until she saw her father in his formal attire and his hair smartly parted, beaming with a unique mix of pride and acceptance. That's when it began to feel like something big was truly approaching. When he held out his arm for her to grasp, kissed her forehead and told her how beautiful she looked with his voice clogged with restrained emotion, it suddenly felt real.

All at once the nerves returned, then dispersed at the memory of her seeing Freddie just an hour before. He was waiting for her, and that's what mattered.

"I can still sense your nerves, snug bug," Steven whispered lowly enough for nobody else to hear.

"No you can't," Carly denied in a hushed tone. "I'm fine. I'm great…no you can't!"

"I can," he insisted with knowing smile. "Because while you're keeping the shaking to an impressive minimum, you're gripping my arm with a strength I almost envy."

Carly looked down at their linking arms and noticed that the knuckles of the hand gripping his bicep were white. She immediately loosened her hold, only slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, dad," she apologized. "I swear I shouldn't be this nervous. I'm not really _nervous_ about anything."

Steven shrugged. "Of course you're not. You're marrying the love of your life, everyone here loves you, and you look positively stunning. Maybe you're not as nervous as you are…anxious."

Suddenly the amplified strumming of an acoustic guitar floated through the air and all the attendants, paired and linked by their arms, stood a little straighter. One by one Taryn, Dallas, and Sam turned their heads to give Carly one last comforting look with Sam taking just a moment longer to mouth "I love you" before returning her gaze forward.

"You're right," Carly whispered as she looked up at her father. "I'm not nervous. Just anxious."

Smiling wide, Steven gave a reassuring pat of her hand. "I, nor anyone here, would ever let you do something that wasn't absolutely right for you. There's nothing more right than you and Freddie, honey. I could not be happier for you than I am right now. You know, I always thought that on this day I would feel like I was mourning the loss of my little girl, but…you haven't been my little girl for a while. You've accomplished more than people twice your age and now you're moving on to the next chapter. I'm just…_excited_ for you."

With an exhale, Carly let out the last of the remaining jitters one and for all as she rested her head on her father's shoulder. She watched Taryn and Jax exit the house through the back sliding doors first.

"I couldn't do this without you, Dad. Thank you for being so wonderful."

"Of course could have done this without me. I'm just so grateful that you didn't have to."

Grinning and struggling to hold back tears, Carly leaned upward and kissed Steven on the cheek. After a few seconds, Dallas exited with a tall figure that looked like Brad, but couldn't be confirmed as they were already out the door.

"Wait, was that Brad?" Carly hissed. "I thought Gibby was her partner! Where is he?"

Spencer and Sam both turned their heads. Carly immediately noted that neither of them looked alarmed.

"You look beautiful, little sis," Spencer whispered.

"Thanks," she replied cautiously. "That doesn't really answer my question, though."

"It's totally fine!" Sam chimed in. "Everyone's where they're supposed to be, darlin'. Oh, we're up! Let's bust a move, Spence."

"See you on the other side, Carls!"

The pair quickly made their exit while Carly's mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish. This earned her another reassuring pat on her hand.

"It's fine, sweetheart. You're about to be married in less than ten minutes. Nothing else matters."

While she still worried, she acknowledged that he was right as the stepped into the frame of the glass doors.

"Ready?" Steven asked.

"I think so." Carly thought for a moment, then amended more confidently. "I am. I'm ready."

Steven nodded his head, then faced the small crowd of standing guests with squared shoulders. Carly followed suit as she prepared their trek down the steps of the deck.

Her eyes immediately found Freddie's. She vaguely took in the elegant décor of the staircase wrapped in lavender fabric and accented with pastel-colored bouquets to match those of the wedding party. She only just managed to register the ivory runner covered in pink rose petals. Her peripheral just picked up the sight of Owen, in a fitted teal dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a purple bowtie, sitting off to the side with a guitar and a lowered microphone as he played a beautiful marching tune. She missed Gibby's position at the center of the flower-adorned arch entirely.

All she saw was Freddie, standing proudly with his hands behind his back and unshed tears in his eyes, like it was the first time he'd seen her in a while. Carly's heart clenched and her breath stilled as if it was the first time seeing _him_.

They reached the end of the walkway, with Freddy's mother and Isabelle sitting to their right and two empty chairs at their left. Carly blatantly gazed Freddie, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of head as he stared back in disbelief. "You're perfect."

Carly let out a shuttering breath, and mouthed, "I've missed you."

"Friends, family," Gibby addressed into a lapel microphone, no doubt provided by Freddie himself, "we are lucky individuals who were chosen to witness two of the best people I know finally come together as one. Today, Fredward Karl Benson and Carlotta Taylor Shay become husband and wife."

It wasn't until Gibby said the word "wife" that she realized that he was not the adorable elderly pastor that they had met the day before. Her dreamy expression momentarily collapsed into one of confusion, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth drawn into a tight circle. Freddie caught it before she could say anything and inconspicuously cleared his throat, garnering her attention.

"Just keep looking at me," he whispered. "It's okay."

"But Gibby –"

"I know, baby, just trust me."

His genuinely calm nature pacified her enough to just allow for the ceremony to unfold.

"The greatest thing about this gathering is that everyone was brought here out of one simple thing: love. We all love these two people. We only want absolute happiness and success for them both. There is no hidden speculation or question as to how and if these two will last, only celebrating that these two will last forever. And I, for one, feel so blessed to be able to share this moment with them today."

Carly looked at Gibby with awe. He spoke of their love so beautifully and in a way that she would have never expected him to speak. She made a mental note to apologize for ever underestimating him.

"Who here gives away this gorgeous bride?" Gibby continued with a warm, pointed smile.

Steven cleared his throat before announcing, "I do, on behalf of her late mother and I." He then turned towards his daughter, placed his hands on her shoulders and softly kissed her forehead. He then took her hand and guided it into her waiting groom's outstretched palm, making sure to shake his free hand kindly before taking the closest free seat. Carly placed her other hand in Freddie's with a wide smile. The feel of him squeezing her hands eased her greatly. She had to stop herself from leaning in and kissing him and was comforted to see him doing the same.

"Another great thing about the group of us is that there's no need to waste time on superfluous musings and opinions. That's why we're going to skip the part where we ask if anyone is actually against this union. I think we're all on the same page in thinking that this absolutely needs to happen, am I right?"

The couple laughed at the general murmur of consent amongst the small crowd. Gibby plowed on.

"And I know these kids have written their own vows so…Carly?"

With a nod she turned to Sam, who stood diagonal of Gibby. She stepped forward and traded Carly's bouquet for her written vows. Once in her hand, she slowly unfolded the piece of paper and hoped that the words would do Freddie justice.

"Fredward," she began, "my love, my heart, my best friend. For years I sat just across the hall from you, literally and figuratively, wondering when I was going to find my great love. I kissed and dated a lot of frogs not realizing that you, my prince, were waiting patiently behind your camera and at my side. Year after year you put my happiness above your own, even when I didn't deserve it…especially when I didn't deserve it. Freddie, I'm so happy that I finally opened my eyes and saw what was just across the hall. I'm so grateful that I found you, my greatest love."

The muffled sniffling of Taryn and Marissa Benson could be heard as Carly battled her own tears. Freddie swallowed hard and exhaled slowly.

"And to you," Carly continued, "my greatest love, I promise to give you back everything you've given me and more: a lifetime of support, honestly, laughter, and peace. I promise to fight not only for us, but alongside you. I promise to give a kind of love and respect that will not only be worthy of you, but will make you proud to call me your wife. Fredward Karl Benson, I promise to be your greatest love, as you have been for me."

She was so relieved to have reached the end of her vows, for she felt like she had nothing left. For the first time she felt like she had removed her beating heart from her chest and held it on display for everyone to see. It left her wonderfully vulnerable, like she had nothing to hide or prove. Best of all, she didn't see a hint of skepticism from anyone. Every promise she gave was accepted happily and It was then that she realized that that's what she had been most afraid of: the possibility that nobody would believe that she could love Freddie in the way that he deserved. She was happy to see that that wasn't the case.

Gibby grunted past the lump in his own throat then gestured for Freddie to continue with his vows. He pulled the scripture from his pocket and unfolded the perfectly creased paper excitedly.

"Carls," he began, his voice smaller than Carly anticipated, "my heartbeat, my soul mate, my best friend. Of all the things that I was so sure I knew, I always felt that what I knew most of all – more than anybody, since we were kids– was how to love you. For the longest time, loving you meant being there for you, coming to your aid when you were in need, and being your biggest fan. From this day until my last breath I promise to continue to do all of those things and more as the definition of loving Carly Shay continues to evolve.

"Carly, loving you means waking up next to you each and every morning and thanking God that I get to. It means considering your tears more precious than my own and not being afraid to let you see mine, even if that means that you're the only one that gets to. It means one hundred percent honesty with zero percent cruelty. It means calling you 'my partner' and not just 'mine.' It means that no secret will ever be worth jeopardizing your trust in me. It means offering my opinion and not my judgment. Most of all, it means allowing all of me to be with you, through our best and our worst. Carlotta Taylor Shay, I promise to live up to, and exceed, that definition today, tomorrow, and forever."

There was no stopping the tears as the dam in just about everyone broke. Carly let out a combination of a sob and a giggle as her unmitigated joy overtook her. Knowing that the man that stood before her was unflinchingly all-in was the greatest feeling and she could not be more ready to become Carly Benson. Through the tears of Gibby, their parents, and most of their wedding party (sans Jax, who simply looked upon them both with a quiet, yet beaming pride) they exchanged rings and made a final declaration of their bond. Then finally, after years of reaching this particular point in their lives, Gibby finally cried, "You guys…it's totally official! I now pronounce you husband and wife…what are you waiting for, Benson?! Kiss your bride, dude!"

And there was no waiting. Carly and Freddie immediately gravitated towards each other in a perfect embrace. Their lips connected and Carly could feel her body positively hum at the awaited contact. This felt old and new all at once, this faithful action feeling so much more important than it was just a minute ago. The roar of their small group could be heard echoing against the water and the trees. Everything felt absolutely right.

Owen strummed a hearty celebratory tune and the recession they previously rehearsed suddenly felt unnecessary. Everyone cried, hugged, congratulated the new couple, and danced on the back lawn until Owen's guitar was replaced by the sound of actual music blasting from a rigged laptop on a small table.

Carly smiled until it hurt, then smiled some more. Freddie held her tightly, not even letting go fully to accepted congratulatory hugs from their family and friends. After some time Jax moved the few chairs off to the side to clear some space. Sam and Owen danced closer and closer as the minutes ticked. Gibby lifted Dallas and leapt into the lake, which inspired Jax to do the same with Taryn. Steven politely danced and chatted with Marissa. All the while, Carly and Freddie swayed to their own beat.

They eventually had to part when a friendly neighborhood caterer finished setting up a small pasta and salad bar, which everyone dug into with little apprehension. As they sat around the picnic table, Gibby made a toast that was much closer to the brazen teenager that Carly, Freddie, Sam, and Spencer grew up with ("May the only rockiness you experience in your union exist between dem sheets! Crap. Sorry, Spence. Double crap! I'm really sorry, Colonel Shay and Mrs. Benson! Shit."). They laughed and started to eat, but Carly and Freddie were quickly pulled to the side by Sam, who they expected to be the first to partake in the meal.

"Can you both come inside for a sec?" she asked quietly. Wordlessly, the pair stood and followed her through the sliding glass doors and into the quiet house.

"So…I thought about writing a toast to you guys," she told them, looking off to the side as she tended to do whenever she was speaking nakedly. "But we all know that would have turned into a declaration of my undying love for Carls and a roast of Freddie, which I'm all about, but…today's a really special day and I wanted the three of us to have a special moment, no jokes. Together. Just us."

Carly looked to Freddie, who simply gave Sam a crooked smile and allowed her to continue.

"I got you guys a present!" she announced cheerfully. "It's lame, but it's coming from a person who clearly isn't lame, so it's awesome by association." The three of them laughed while Sam went into the kitchen and pulled a glittering silver gift bag from under the sink. She made her way slowly to them. "This trip has been a real eye-opener in a way that I've never experienced nor expected to ever experience. Over the past few years things have changed around me, some great and some not-so-great. I realized after I finally booted Wesley that there was something really lacking that made my life so much worse than it had to be. It's the same thing that had you almost fighting over an e-mail. I was missing that open communication that we used to have when we were kids. We told each other everything – maybe too much at times – and when we did we had the strength to do anything."

"You're right," Carly agreed softly. "It's true. We never kept anything from each other."

Freddie nodded. "Yeah. It was definitely the source of a lot of TMI moments, but…overall, it was a positive thing." They laughed while Sam nudged his shoulder playful.

"Well, in that same spirit," Sam said as she looked at the gift bag in her hand, "I got you guys these." She handed the bag to Carly, who immediately rid it of the white tissue paper inside and dug her hand in to pull out a simple silver flip phone, then a yellow one, followed by a purple one. They matched and looked like they weren't capable of much more than making calls and showing a mildly entertaining display on the screen.

"Sam," Carly called in a questioning tone. "You got us new phones?"

The blonde shook her head side to side, indicating that the explanation wasn't quite that succinct. "I wouldn't say they're our new phones. I think none of us want to give up our smartphones for these. No, this is just for us…kind of like a Bat Signal or a 'break-glass-in-case-of-emergency' kind of thing.'" When her explanation was met with two matching puzzled expressions, Sam rolled her eyes and continued her explanation. "You guys don't get it? This is an emergency line for just the three of us. I added it to my phone plan for next to nothing. We don't share the numbers with anyone is a way for us to always be able to reach each other when we feel like we can't turn to anyone else. I don't know about you guys, but there are people always calling my phone who just aren't that important or are calling with some chizz that I'm trying to avoid, so I'm not always in the mood to pick it up." She reached out and took the purple phone from Carly's hand and waved it between her fingers. "But if I hear this little guy ring, I'm picking it up no matter what…whether it's to hear Carly worry about her job or Freddie second guess himself about some amazing app he's developing that I'm going to eventually make fun of."

Rather than look indignant, Freddie reached out and affectionate squeezed Sam's hand as he took the silver phone from Carly's hand. "Sam…"

"I just don't ever want us to feel that distant again," she blurted. "I know things are gonna change and it's going to get harder to make time for each other with each passing year, but…let's just hold on to this one thing. Let's always be there for each other and let's never have a filter between the three of us again."

"Sam, this is beautiful," Carly said breathily as she looked at her new yellow phone, which now seemed so much more valuable.

"I love you guys." Sam sniffled. Freddie stepped forward to wrap his arms around her and kiss her on her temple.

"We love you, too, crazy."

Sam sputtered a laugh as Carly stepped forward to wrap her arms around her new husband and the woman she always considered a sister. The trio stood just like that for a few reflective minutes before returning to the feast.

* * *

><p>The party continued into the setting sun, where Steven and Marissa took their leave and the remaining group found themselves around the fire pit, eating the delicious amaretto cake that Brad and Isabelle gifted them. They all had comfortable seats around the fire while they listened to Owen and Jax play songs that everyone knew. Dallas and Gibby, still wet, cuddled and kissed. Spencer eventually stood up and walked across to the newlyweds.<p>

"Things are winding down. I'm thinking now's a good time to give you your gift."

Carly lifted her head from Freddie's shoulder and gasped. "The room! I totally forgot about the secret room!"

Spencer chuckled. "Well, there was a lot going on, so…c'mon, I'm eager to show you guys!"

Freddie smiled and stood to his feet, offering a helping hand to his wife. Carly let herself be tugged upward until she was fully upright. The three made their way to the house.

"So I kind of cheated and started working on some of this stuff the minute you guys told me that you were an official couple," Spencer explained. "Call me cocky, but I just knew that you guys would eventually end up here." He thought for a second, then added, "Well, not _here_, but y'know, married and such. You get it."

"You were always rooting for us, Spence," Freddie observed with a smile as they ascended the small steps leading up to the deck.

Spencer turned just long enough to flash a grin. "What can I say? There's something about you crazy kids."

They entered the house once again as Spencer led them all the way to the closed door with a tie hanging loosely around the knob. He faced them dramatically.

"This is my best work yet." He turned and opened the door wide and stepped aside to allow Freddie and Carly to enter. Carly gasped again.

The bedroom lights were dimmed and candles dripped and flicked on each side table. The bed was covered in the same rose petals that littered the aisle earlier that day. Champagne chilled in a bucket of ice water next to the bed.

But what stole Carly's breath was the giant sculpture in the corner of the room. It was in the shape of Cupid, whose wings stretched a few feet. He had no face, but every inch of his body was plastered with photos of Carly and Freddie, from childhood until just before they left for Georgia. On his back was not a quiver, but Freddie's old camera case spray painted gold. Cupid was aiming a matching gold bow, but the arrow had been replaced by a handheld microphone. The missing button on the side let Carly know that it was her old one from a talent show she entered when she was very young. Though Cupid had no face, it emanated pure joy.

"I should be clear here and tell you both that I'm solely responsible for the art, not the whole…ambiance," he clarified with an uneasy wave of his hand. "The girls worked to put the rest together. I love you guys, but…there's something royally awkward about the brother of the bride setting up her wedding night quarters."

"Yup," Carly agreed loudly with a shake of her head. "Super weird. Let's not think about that anymore…but Spence, the sculpture…thank you so much. It's incredible."

"Yeah, Spencer, it's amazing," Freddie agreed, still staring at it as he wrapped his arms around Carly from behind. "This had to have taken you forever."

Spencer shrugged, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. "It was worth every minute. I'm just so thrilled you found each other. Oh, and before I forget, I'm leaving behind an addressed and stamped box. The shipping's already been taken care of. All you have to do is disassemble the thing – which is insanely easy – put it in the box and drop it off at the post office on the way to the airport when you leave. It'll ship to your place the next day. But I wanted you guys to enjoy it while you're here."

Carly stepped out of Freddie embrace to throw herself at her brother, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight hug. "I love you so much, Spencer."

"I love you, kiddo," he whispered. They pulled apart so that he could give his new brother-in-law a bear hug. "Love you, Freddie."

"Love you too, big bro," Freddie replied as he clapped him on the back. When Spencer pulled away he nodded in acknowledgment at the both of them. "So I'm thinking you guys will want to spend the rest of the night here. Nobody's heading to the airport tomorrow until early afternoon, so I can just tell everyone that you both wished them a good night and we all can pester you before we leave."

Carly mumbled okay and wished him a good night as he exited. Once the door closed behind him, Carly turned towards Freddie. They were finally alone.

"Mr. Benson," she greeted coyly, her voice much huskier than she had intended.

"Mrs. Benson," he responded as he stepped closer. The candlelight danced in his eyes, softly illuminating his desire. He placed a few lingering kisses along her jaw line, purposely avoiding her lips. "You know, I always worried that calling you 'Mrs. Benson' would immediately remind me of my mom in a mega creepy way."

The kisses continued down her neck and caused her to giggle as he eased her into sitting at the edge of the bed. "Me, too actually! But it didn't."

"No, babe, it didn't." He got on bended knee in order to remove each of her shoes with care. It was simultaneously one of the sweetest and sexiest things he'd ever done to her. He lifted a foot to his lips and placed a feather-light kiss on her ankle. "You should know…" Another kiss on her shin. "…that I changed my mind about having kids again." He kissed up her leg slowly.

"Really? That fast?" she asked, though her breathing was growing heavy as he neared her thighs.

He peered upward and nodded. "Before I was worried about holding you back, but now? Soon as possible."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously. And that stands whether or not you decide to take the job, Carls. Either way, we'll be fine. More than fine!"

Instantly, her hand framed his face and she pulled him upward until their lips met in a searing kiss. He crawled onto the bed until he was laying on top of her, kissing every inch of her face. Carly stilled his kisses by placing a hand on his cheek. He stopped in order to look deep into her eyes, searching as if he still needed to confirm that this was all real. Carly assumed he found what he was looking for when an easy smile broke to the surface.

"For the next seventy or so years I'm about to live my wildest dreams," Freddie mused, delicately moving a stray lock of hair off of Carly's forehead. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back any threatening squeals of delight.

"For the next seventy or so years I'm about to live a life that I never even dared to dream," she confessed. "But for now, let's toast to tonight."

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"Baby Harlow is going to hate every dress we got her."

"Carls, Baby Harlow is a baby and literally cannot form an opinion just yet."

"What if she spits up in protest?"

Freddie let out a laugh as he dumped another pair of jeans into his duffle bag. "She will likely spit up and it will have absolutely nothing to do with her opposition of cotton and tutus. It's fine, babe."

Carly rolled her eyes at her own unwarranted anxiety, then grinned. "I know. This is just my first time meeting my goddaughter and I don't want…it's nerve-wracking, you know?"

"Hey, hey," he cooed, reaching out and tugging her by her hand until she was in her arms. "It'll be fine. We'll be fine. This isn't some test, you know. No matter Harlow is towards us, that doesn't mean –"

"I know, I know," she sighed, toying with an errant thread on his V-neck sweater. "I'm being ridiculous. Besides, her parents are two of the chillest people we know."

"Well, Owen's definitely chill. Sam, though...ow!"

Carly's pinch of the skin just above his pectoral was followed by a sharp glare. "I thought you said you understood her pregnancy mood swings! She only meant, like, a quarter of what she said to you over the past few months."

"I know, I was joking! Look, Sam and Owen are amazing, that baby is incredible and healthy and she's going to love Godmommy Carly and Godpop Freddie. We're golden."

Carly gave him a skeptical smile just before he leaned in and kissed her briefly.

"We'll just spoil her just to be sure, right?"

"That's a good back-up plan. " He patted her butt once before letting her out of his embrace in order for them to continue to unpack. "So do you ever think they'll get married?"

Shrugging, Carly replied, "You know, I don't think they're in a rush. They've got their little dream house in L.A., they have their family, a successful bar, they're insanely in love, I couldn't tell you anytime that Sam's been happier… I don't know, there really isn't a pressing need for them to get married right this moment, really."

"Yeah, you're right. When are Jax and Taryn getting in?"

"The same time we get there. Gibby's already there and Dallas's filming schedule is two days behind, so she's stuck in Boston."

"Damn, that sucks." After a final review of the bag he zipped it shut. "I was kind of hoping to break the news to everyone at once."

Carly nodded. "Well, we'll take a cute picture and send it to her while we're together. I think I'm gonna tell Chuck tomorrow before we go and get it out of the way."

When her declaration was met with silnce, she looked up to find him staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"We're telling our bosses? That's, like, the step just before the SplashFace post."

"I know," Carly sighed. "But we got the go ahead from the doctor, right? Twelve weeks far enough along to get the word out."

"No, I agree…" His voice trailed as he took a seat on the bed. Carly moved in front of him until she was standing between his legs. His eyes were leveled with her stomach. Trailing his fingertips up and down her hips, he spoke directly to the barely noticeable bump. "You won't be our little secret anymore, lil' peanut."

Carly looked down with soft eyes – first at her husband, then at their growing baby.

"Good. Let's tell everyone."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's a Christmas miracle. :-)**

**So this story was pretty much abandoned until the past few weeks. For MONTHS I struggled with writing this. Then I directed my focus on other stories and hoped that the ending would come to me magically. I eventually gave up until NaNoWriMo, where I attempted write my first original story.**

**All the while I kept thinking about how this story was unfinished. Truth was: as much as I tried, I kind of lost touch with these characters. That can happen sometimes when a show ends. I lost their voices and finishing the story, while always on the back of my mind, was just not a priority to me.**

**But I just don't like leaving things unfinished. So I decided to give the final chapter one more shot...and it flowed! I'm thankful that it finally did.**

**So to the people who touched base with me to see if I ever planned on finishing the story (and weren't rude about it): thank you so much for your patience. Thank you ALL (if you're still around) for your patience. I hope you enjoyed the final chapter. If you didn't...welp, it's already done, so it is what it is. LOL. **

**Leave a review and say hi! I'd love to hear from you all. :-)**

**Hope all is well and Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


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